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Prophylactic mastectomy and the clinical management of high-risk breast cancer patients
Breast Health Center, Department of Surgery, University of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer or demonstrated deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations present a clinical management conundrum for surgeons and physicians: When and in which patients is prophylactic mastectomy indicated? In particular, when a patient with such a profile is diagnosed with a cancer, is it safe for these individuals to undergo standard breast conservation surgery for treatment or should they submit to bilateral mastectomy for treatment and prophylaxis? As our understanding of breast cancer evolves, most notably in terms of associated epidemiologic factors and long-term treatment effects, reevaluation of patient selection standards for prophylactic mastectomy and the therapeutic options for those at high risk is critical. The decision for prophylactic mastectomy must not be rushed and should only be made after thorough counseling has been undertaken.
| Commun Oncol 2006;3:379–382 | full text |  126 kb |