More and More Men are going for Preventive Breast Cancer Surgery today
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| Preventive Breast Cancer Surgery |
According to collaborative research between the American Cancer Society and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, there is a very sharp increase in the number of men suffering from breast cancer who are also having their non-cancerous breast removed. Although a similar trend has been observed among U.S. women for the past two decades, there is no research evidence to prove that the extra mastectomy helps either women or men to live for longer.
The findings of the latest study were published online in the 2nd September, 2015 publication of the monthly medical journal, JAMA Surgery.
The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, or NAACCR, provided the treatment data for over 6,000 men suffering from breast cancer who had also undergone surgery between 2004 and 2011 to remove the other breast following cancer diagnosis in one breast, a procedure referred to as bilateral mastectomy. Their figure had risen from 3% to 5.6% during this time, with most of them being white, younger and possessing private medical insurance cover.
In comparison, this percentage rose from 2.2% to 11% between 1998 and 2011 for women.
According to first author of the research paper, Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, PhD -- who is also the vice president of the ongoing medical research for surveillance & health services at the American Cancer Society -- the exponential rise in the number of people undergoing this expensive and serious surgery is paradoxical given the fact that scientists have not found any evidence of survival benefits associated with the procedure, and that this is coming at a time when medics are emphasizing more on both quality and value in patient cancer care. He also adds that there is a need for doctors to have a careful discussion with both their male and female breast cancer patients so that they are fully informed of the health benefits and risks -- as well as the costs -- associated with this procedure before deciding to go under the knife.
Due to the fact that breast cancer is not a common problem for men, with only about 2,350 new invasive breast cancer cases expected among U.S. men in 2015, regular screening mammograms are unnecessary for men. However, they should be keen to report any changes observed in their chest walls -- including lumps/swellings; redness/scaling of nipple or breast skin; nipple turning inward; discharge from nipple; or skin dimpling/puckering -- to their doctors for further action.
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