Is the recurrence rate lower if the patient has a mastectomy?
The local recurrence rate would be lower but survival time would be the same. Very rarely a recurrence will occur in the tiny amount of breast tissue that remains after a mastectomy. Many women are concerned about the possibility of recurrence and spread of the cancer if they don’t have a mastectomy. In theory, it is more dangerous to keep the breast because a recurrence has the potential to spread and become metastatic, but in reality statistics show that with good follow-up, the recurrences are caught at an early stage and survival is not affected. This has been born out in research studies comparing large numbers of women who have either mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiation- the survival rates are the same. Radiation is also very effective in destroying any leftover cancer cells that may remain in the breast. It is so effective that some researchers are starting to recommend that women have radiation even if they have a mastectomy, especially if their tumor was large or aggressive
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