Mastectomy News and Research

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Mastectomy is surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).

Hypofractionated breast radiation therapy safe and effective in women under 50, study finds

A higher-dose, shorter form of radiation is safe, effective, and no more damaging to the breast tissue or skin of breast cancer patients under age 50 than it is in older patients.

25 Sep 2017

Woman's choice of surgeon plays major role in influencing breast cancer treatment choices

A woman's choice of surgeon plays a significant role in whether she's likely to receive an increasingly popular aggressive breast cancer surgery.

13 Sep 2017

Two-stage approach improves outcomes for women with large breasts undergoing risk-reducing mastectomy

For women undergoing risk-reducing mastectomy to prevent breast cancer, reconstruction can be challenging in those with larger breasts.

30 Aug 2017

New study compares experiences of women undergoing IVF either to become pregnant or for money

An individual's reason for undergoing a medical intervention -- be it to prevent or treat disease, earn money, or to have a child -- may result in variations in the bodily experience of the patient, Yale researchers have found.

26 Aug 2017

Women’s decision-making habits combined with values impact choice of breast cancer treatment

A new study finds that more than half of women with early stage breast cancer considered an aggressive type of surgery to remove both breasts.

17 Aug 2017

Cancer prognosis improves in young women treated with breast conserving surgery

A new analysis indicates that breast cancer prognoses have improved over time in young women treated with breast conserving surgery.

9 Aug 2017

Study explores long-term consequences of breast surgery on woman's sensuality, sexual function

Does the type of surgery used to treat breast cancer impact a woman's sensuality and sexual function in survivorship? New research from Women & Infants Hospital analyzed the association of surgical modality with sexual function and found that breast-specific sensuality and appearance satisfaction are better with lumpectomy and may correlate with improved sexual function post-operatively.

26 Jul 2017

Study finds low rate of breast cancer recurrence after nipple-sparing mastectomy

Women with breast cancer who undergo nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) have a low rate of cancer returning within the first five years when most recurrences in the breast are diagnosed, findings of a single-center study show.

18 Jul 2017

Study: Breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant radiation have lower risk of second primary tumor

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers launched a first of its kind study comparing the long-term benefits of radiation therapy in women with breast cancer either before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant).

17 Jul 2017

Transgender health care targeted in crusade to undo ACA

Solorah Singleton has been waiting years for breast augmentation. She doesn't want to jinx it now, but the Philadelphia resident thinks it's finally within reach.

13 Jul 2017

Adding a second HER2-targeted treatment may improve outcomes for some women with breast cancer

A phase III clinical trial of 4,805 women with HER2-positive breast cancer suggests adding a second HER2 targeted medicine, pertuzumab (Perjeta), to standard of care trastuzumab (Herceptin) after surgery may help, although the benefit is modest.

6 Jun 2017

Positive results for AstraZeneca’s PARP inhibitor Lynparza in advanced breast cancer

A new study has shown that AstraZeneca's Lynparza (olaparib) can significantly slow the progress of breast cancer that is caused partially due to mutations of the culprit gene called BRCA. BRCA gene mutations are responsible for around 3% of all breast cancers. These cases of the disease that have a basis in the gene are notoriously difficult to treat and women who are tested positive for this gene may even opt for removal of their breasts before even the cancer strikes. Noted actress Angelina Jolie went for a similar prophylactic mastectomy.

5 Jun 2017

Open-access BRCA testing for inherited breast cancer enables identification of missed carriers

Ashkenazi Jewish women are known to have a predisposition to the inherited breast cancers BRCA1 and BRCA2, but currently genetic testing in this group is limited to women affected by breast and ovarian cancers and those who are unaffected but have a family history of the disease.

27 May 2017

New imaging technology could reduce the need for additional cancer surgeries

Engineers at the Optical Imaging Laboratory led by Caltech's Lihong Wang have developed an imaging technology that could help surgeons removing breast cancer lumps confirm that they have cut out the entire tumor--reducing the need for additional surgeries.

18 May 2017

Study finds shorter course of radiation therapy given after mastectomy to be safe and effective

A shorter course of radiation therapy given to breast cancer patients following mastectomy is safe and effective and cuts treatment time in half. That is according to data from a phase II clinical trial conducted by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigators and other colleagues who examined a hypofractionated regimen given over three weeks versus the traditional six week course of treatment.

2 May 2017

Study finds high degree of discordance between Myriad Genetics and public database in BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant classifications

Myriad Genetics, Inc., a leader in molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, today announced that new data comparing BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant classifications between Myriad Genetics and a commonly used public genetic database was published in the journal The Oncologist.

21 Apr 2017

Different therapies for early-stage breast cancer show wide variations in cost-effectiveness

A new study published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that different therapies for early-stage breast cancer have very different relative values.

10 Apr 2017

Study examines interaction between patients' desire for CPM and surgeons' duty to minimize harm

More women with breast cancer are electing to have both breasts removed, even when cancer affects only one breast. The procedure, called contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), is a more complex surgery that has not been shown to improve survival.

6 Apr 2017

Study: Major databases provide varying estimates of racial gaps in IBR after mastectomy

Three major national databases include varying estimates of racial gaps in the use of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after mastectomy for breast cancer, reports a study in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

30 Mar 2017

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging could identify tumors earlier

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging differs from conventional X-rays because it uses a different physical principle.

29 Mar 2017