The double mastectomy, undertaken by some breast cancer patients as a precautionary measure, provides no advantage to sufferers when it comes to survival, a new study has revealed.
The findings, published this week in JAMA Oncology, are based on analysis of more than 660,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer during the years 2000 and 2019.
Those choosing a double mastectomy — a procedure to remove both breasts, even if only one is affected by the cancer — were shown to have no advantage over those who had a less final lumpectomy, or a mastectomy, People reported.
Women opting for the latter had a 7% chance of finding cancer in the other breast later on.
The two-decade study showed similar death rates in all three groups — 8.5% for lumpectomies, 9% for mastectomies and 8.5% for double mastectomies.
“If you get a contralateral breast cancer, your risk of dying goes up. But preventing it doesn’t improve your survival,” said Dr. Steven Narod at Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital.
“That seems like a paradox,” Narod, lead author of the study, noted.
Having a double mastectomy can lower quality of life, according to the National Institutes of Health.
However, there are cases where a range of experts say that the preventative measure is worth considering — namely in women testing positive for what’s known as the BRCA gene, which carries a higher risk, People reported.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women in the US, apart from skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
It affects one in eight women, the organization stated. Mammograms are considered essential for early detection.
As of 2023, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has lowered the recommended screening age to 40.
Women are encouraged to undergo examination every other year after that — a move the organization said could save nearly 20% more lives.
