Part 2 Continues…

Double mastectomy

When both breasts are removed, it is called a double (or bilateral) mastectomy. Double mastectomy is done as a risk-reducing surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation. Most of these mastectomies are simple mastectomies, but some may be nipple-sparing. There are other circumstances where a double mastectomy might be done as part of a women's breast cancer treatment plan. This is done after careful consideration and discussion between the patient and their cancer care team.

Who should get a mastectomy?

Many women with early-stage cancers can choose between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. You may have an initial gut preference for mastectomy as a way to "take out all the cancer as quickly as possible." But the fact is that in most cases, mastectomy does not give you any better chance of long-term survival compared to BCS. Studies following thousands of women for more than 20 years show that when BCS is done along with radiation, the outcome is the same as having a mastectomy.

Although most women and their doctors prefer BCS (with radiation therapy) when it's a reasonable option, there are times when a mastectomy is likely to be the best choice. For example, mastectomy might be recommended if you:

Are unable to have radiation therapy
Would prefer more extensive surgery instead of having radiation therapy
Have had the breast treated with radiation therapy in the past
Have already had BCS with re-excision(s) that did not completely remove the cancer
Have two or more areas of cancer in the same breast that are not close enough to be removed together without changing the look of the breast too much
Have a tumor larger than 5 cm (2 inches) across, or a tumor that is large relative to your breast size
Are pregnant and would need radiation therapy while still pregnant (risking harm to the fetus)
Have a genetic factor such as a BRCA mutation, which might increase your chance of a second cancer

To be continued…

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/treatment/surgery-for-breast-cancer/mastectomy.html