What Influences Breast Cancer Treatment?
(Ivanhoe newswire) — Breast cancer patients typically must choose between removing only the breast cancer tissue through lumpectomy or undergoing a mastectomy and removing the entire breast. Mastectomies do not require post-surgery radiation therapy, and lessen anxiety for cancer recurrence. A new analysis reveals which factors influence patients’ decisions. Patients’ attitudes on surgery and their family and friend’s opinions influenced surgical choices made by women. Patients in all racial and ethnic groups who were more involved in their treatment decisions were more likely to have a mastectomy. Patients more concerned about body image and their spouse’s opinion were less likely to have a mastectomy than those less concerned. The twenty-year risk of local recurrence is significantly lower for mastectomy patients, according to researchers. The risk for recurrence is only three to five percent for mastectomy patients, compared to 15 to 20 percent after lumpectomy and radiation. Resea
