Mastectomy: Surgical Choice for Many Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients
23rd Sep 2005, 10:39 GMT
Although most women with early stage breast cancer are good candidates for breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy rates for these women remain high—and that is despite the fact that many women are involved in the treatment decision-making process. A recent survey of women with early-stage breast cancer indicated that 70 percent of the women underwent breast-conserving surgery while 30 percent underwent mastectomy. Overall, 41 percent of women said that they made the decision about which surgery to have; 37 percent reported that the decision was shared with their physician. However, nearly 22 percent said their surgeon made the decision with or without their input. According to the survey results, which are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, women also reported that surgeons who offered treatment recommendations were more apt to recommend breast-conserving surgery than mastectomy (49 percent vs. 15 percent, respectively). Summary of the survey report available here. Read Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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