More women choosing mastectomy Posted on May 17th
Signaling the reversal of a long decline in the use of mastectomy for breast cancer patients, a new study indicates more women are opting for the operation in part because more patients are getting MRI scans that can find additional tumors.
The marked change in care in recent years suggests a deepening of the emotional dilemma that many women face when choosing between mastectomy and more targeted treatments that can preserve the breast.
The study of 5,463 Mayo Clinic breast cancer patients found an increase of 13 percentage points in the use of mastectomy between 2003 and 2006. That rise coincided with a doubling in the use of MRI for such patients, according to the report, which was released Thursday in connection with an American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting to be held in Chicago later this month.
The rebound in mastectomy rates is sparking a debate among oncologists about whether the enhanced sensitivity of MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is always a good thing.
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