Reasons Behind Rising Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy Rates

Factors related to treatment of index breast cancer influenced CPM choices.

Not only are many U.S. women with breast cancer choosing mastectomy over breast-conserving surgery, but increasing numbers also are opting for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). For most patients with invasive breast cancer (possibly even younger women with estrogen receptor–negative cancers, CPM does not improve long-term survival (JW Oncol Hematol Apr 20 2010). Among women with ductal carcinoma in situ who participated in the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trials of breast-conserving treatments (and who did not receive tamoxifen), 15-year cumulative incidence of contralateral breast cancer was recently reported to be about 10% (JW Oncol Hematol Apr 19 2011).

Now, in a retrospective study of 2965 women with st…

Reviewing Author

Henry Mark Kuerer, MD, PhD, FACS

Disclosures

Speaker's BureauPhysicians’ Education Resource, LLC

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill Professional; UpToDate, Inc.

Editorial BoardsAnnals of Surgical Oncology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Breast Surgeons (Chair, Publications Committee)