Health
Preventative Mastectomy Cuts Cancer Risk
It's a drastic measure, that's for sure. But for some women with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, a Preventive Mastectomy can significantly reduce chances of getting the disease.
One study at the Mayo Clinic found the risk of breast cancer can be reduced by about 90 percent with the procedure, but of course the surgery brings emotional and physical distress of its own, and some women simply are not at-risk enough to consider it.
Breast cancer affects one in nine women and up to 10 percent of patients have an inherited risk for the disease. For those women, the chance of getting cancer is 55 percent to 85 percent. Clicking the link above will take you to the Mayo Clinic's informative Web site on the surgery, where you can learn everything you might need to know about a difficult, but possibly life-saving decision.
One study at the Mayo Clinic found the risk of breast cancer can be reduced by about 90 percent with the procedure, but of course the surgery brings emotional and physical distress of its own, and some women simply are not at-risk enough to consider it.
Breast cancer affects one in nine women and up to 10 percent of patients have an inherited risk for the disease. For those women, the chance of getting cancer is 55 percent to 85 percent. Clicking the link above will take you to the Mayo Clinic's informative Web site on the surgery, where you can learn everything you might need to know about a difficult, but possibly life-saving decision.
