Should the Other Breast Be Removed After Cancer Surgery?

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Some patients you never forget. One woman told me she had a breast cancer on one breast removed. But her surgeon refused to remove the remaining breast. I told her then that her doctor may be right. There was little research or clinical data to help in determining if this was a prudent decision. Her surgeon had said, “I can never sleep again if I keep worrying whether or not the cancer will occur in the other breast.” After repeated medical appointments with her, it became evident the continuing anxiety would affect her overall health. So, was I wrong or right 50 years later?

Dr. Steven Narod of Women's College Hospital in Toronto is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Toronto. He and his colleagues, using U.S. data, have reached a conclusion. They say that there is no advantage in having the other breast removed by either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. In other words, there is no increase in the survival rate.