75% Of Women Who Have A Double Mastectomy Like Angelina Jolie, May Not Need To | HuffPost Life

75% Of Women Who Have A Double Mastectomy Like Angelina Jolie, May Not Need To

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Nearly three-quarters of women who have both breasts removed after a cancer diagnosis may be wrong to take the drastic step, a study has suggested.

Researchers who studied 1,447 women treated for breast cancer found that 8% of them had undergone a double mastectomy.

But 70% of these women did not meet the medically approved criteria for losing both breasts - a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutations.

They had a very low risk of developing cancer in the healthy breast, the US scientists said.

Study leader Dr Sarah Hawley, from the University of Michigan, said: "Women appear to be using worry over cancer recurrence to choose contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.

"This does not make sense, because having a non-affected breast removed will not reduce the risk of recurrence in the affected breast.

"For women who do not have a strong family history or a genetic finding, we would argue it's probably not appropriate to get the unaffected breast removed."

Story continues below the slideshow:

11 Little Known Breast Cancer Facts

Breast cancer is actually many different types of cancer(01 of10)

Breast cancer, in its simplest definition, is cancer that starts in the cells of the breast. But what we call "breast cancer" actually includes several different types of cancer, all of which require different treatments and have different prognoses. (credit:Shutterstock)

A lump doesn't always (or even usually) mean cancer(02 of10)

Most breast lumps indicate something other than breast cancer—some possible causes for breast lumps include cysts, fibrosis, or benign tumours. And some women are just prone to lumpy breasts, which is stressful but harmless. That said, if you find a lump, get it checked out — know that the odds are good that it's nothing serious, but see your doctor about it for your own peace of mind. (credit:Susan G. Komen)

Breast cancer isn't always a lump(03 of10)

It's helpful to know that breast cancer can appear in forms other than a lump, which means there are other physical signs you should watch for. Other symptoms that you should get checked out include thickening of the skin in the breast or underarm area; swelling, warmth, redness, or darkening of the breasts; a change in your breast size or shape; dimpling or puckering of the breast skin; an itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple; a pulling in of your nipple or another part of your breast; sudden nipple discharge; or pain in one spot of the breast that doesn't go away. (credit:Shutterstock)

Breast cancer risk isn't always determined by family history(04 of10)

A family history of breast cancer (on either your mother or father's side) can be an indication that your personal odds of developing it are higher than average, but they don't guarantee that you will. As well, the majority of women who develop breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors, including family history. And the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are hereditary, but only account for five to 10 per cent of all breast cancers. (credit:Shutterstock)

BRCA1 or BRCA2 don't always mean cancer is in your future(05 of10)

The news that Angelina Jolie had had a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation made many women wonder if they had the same mutation--and what it would mean for them if they did. If you do have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, your lifetime risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer is significantly elevated, and women with the mutations who do get cancer tend to develop it at younger ages; one estimate states that 55 to 65 per cent of the women with the BRCA1 mutation and 45 per cent of those with the BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70, versus 12 per cent in the general population. But it does not mean that cancer is definitely in your future, and every person has to make her own individual decision, based on a variety of factors, about how to best mitigate her risk of disease. (credit:Shutterstock)

Not all women have a one-in-eight risk for breast cancer(06 of10)

This often-cited statistic is somewhat misleading. Breast cancer risk varies based on a variety of factors, including age, weight, and ethnic background. Risk increases as you get older (http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/age.htm): most breast-cancer cases are in women in their 50s and 60s. Also, some ethnic groups appear to be more susceptible to breast cancer; the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. says that white, non-Hispanic women have the highest overall risk of developing breast cancer, while women of Korean descent have the lowest risk, but African-American women have a higher death rate. Finally, being overweight or obese may also up your risk; there is evidence that being obese or overweight after menopause can up your breast-cancer risk, possibly because fat tissue is a source of estrogen. (credit:Shutterstock)

There are ways to lower your risk(07 of10)

You can't prevent breast cancer, per se, but there are ways to lower your personal risk. If you are overweight or obese, you could try to lose weight in a healthful way; if you are already in a healthy weight range, try to stay there. Exercise regularly, as as little as 75 to 150 minutes of walking a week has been shown to have a lowering effect on risk. Limit your alcohol consumption — research found that women who have two or more alcoholic drinks each day have an elevated risk of breast cancer. And avoid hormone therapy during menopause, as a combo of estrogen and progestin has been shown to raise breast-cancer risk. (credit:Shutterstock)

Mammograms aren't foolproof(08 of10)

Mammograms are a powerful way to detect breast cancer early on, but they aren't 100 per cent. Mammograms are most effective in women aged 50 and over; they detect about 83 per cent of women who have breast cancer in that age group. For younger women, the sensitivity is 78 per cent. However, that does mean some cancers are missed and that there are false-positive results as well, which could require a biopsy to confirm. Talk to your doctor about when you should start getting mammograms regularly, or if you have symptoms that suggest that you should get one. (credit:Shutterstock)

Fertility treatments don't raise your breast-cancer risk(09 of10)

Some wondered if Giuliana Rancic's fertility treatments were behind her diagnosis of breast cancer in her late 30s, but experts interviewed by WebMD said that there is no strong evidence connecting the disease with the use of fertility drugs. It's true that hormonal treatments can raise the risk for post-menopausal women, but women undergoing fertility treatments are almost never in that age range, and also take the medications for a much shorter period of time. (credit:Getty Images)

Most women survive breast cancer(10 of10)

Cancer is scary, but in most cases, women who are diagnosed with breast cancer survive and lead healthy lives. According to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, the five-year survival rate is 80 per cent for men and 88 per cent for women. That's up from 79 per cent for women in 1986. (credit:Shutterstock)

The research, published in the journal JAMA Surgery, also found that 18% of the women studied had considered a double mastectomy.

Women with a risky family history and BRCA mutations make up around 10% of all those diagnosed with breast cancer.

They are considered to be at high risk of a new cancer developing in the unaffected breast.

Without these indications, women who develop a tumour in one breast are very unlikely to acquire a second cancer in the other.

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Many of the women in the study who elected to have a double mastectomy were candidates for breast-conserving surgery to remove lumps, the researchers said.

Overall, about three-quarters of the patients reported being very worried about their cancer.

Those who chose to have both breasts removed were significantly more likely to be concerned.

A double mastectomy is a major operation that can be associated with complications and difficult recovery, the authors pointed out.

Most of the participants who had the procedure underwent breast reconstruction as well.

The study found that women with higher education levels and who had been given a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan before surgery were more likely to choose a double mastectomy.

The new research coincides with former Dancing With The Stars host Samantha Harris making public her decision to have a double mastectomy following a diagnosis of breast cancer.

She was praised by Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of the Breast Cancer Campaign charity, who said: "Samantha's openness in sharing her experience serves as a stark reminder of the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis. It also raises awareness of the fact that breast cancer can occur at any age, although 80% of the 50,000 cases diagnosed in the UK each year occur in women over 50.

"Being breast aware can be crucial to early diagnosis, increasing chances of survival. It is important women report any unusual changes to their GP and consider attending routine breast screening when invited."

Ms Harris discovered a lump in her right breast during a routine self-examination.

Commenting on the study, Lady Morgan said: "This study was conducted in the US which has a very different healthcare system than the UK, where data on why mastectomies take place is not broken down in this way.

"Whether a woman in the UK is advised to have a double mastectomy when they are diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast will depend on the individual case, such as whether they have a family history of the disease.

"Women who are concerned about getting breast cancer in their other breast should speak to their healthcare team who will be able to provide them with support and information about the risks of this occurring and their individual treatment options.

"More research is needed into what triggers the growth of breast tumours and makes the disease progress for each patient. We hope that with more research by 2025 better and more personalised treatment options will become available for women with breast cancer, giving them the best possible chances for survival."

Sally Greenbrook, from the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "Double mastectomies are not routinely offered to women with breast cancer in the UK unless they have a family history of the disease or a high risk of recurrence as outside of these groups there is no evidence to suggest that this would be of benefit.

"This study provides yet more evidence to support the need for improved ways to establish a clear picture of an individual's risk of recurrence, enabling clinicians to better help their patients make decisions as they move through treatment and ongoing monitoring.

"Our dedicated team of scientists are working to make personalised medicine the standard for breast cancer treatment. By gaining a full understanding of every type of breast cancer, what causes them to begin and by mapping how they grow and spread, we will be able to match up each and every patient with a precise treatment plan based on the most effective ways of beating their particular breast cancer - with the fewest side effects possible."

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