Double Mastectomies In Men With Breast Cancer On The Rise

Double mastectomies for male breast cancer patients are twice as popular as they were in 2004, according to a recent report published in the JAMA Surgery by researchers at the American Cancer Society and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

While only about 1 percent of breast cancer cases in the United States are actually seen in men, there are a growing number of male patients choosing to have both of their breasts removed, otherwise known as a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), in the hopes of reducing risk of recurrence, according to the American Cancer Society.

The report was based off of 6,332 men who opted to have only the breast with cancer removed, between 2004 and 2011, according to Newsweek, based on data from the North American Association of Cancer Registries.

Study findings revealed that the rate of male breast cancer patients who choose to have CPM nearly doubled, from 3 percent to 5.6 percent, between 2004 and 2011--or about an 86.7 percent increase. Furthermore, the rate of CPM among female breast cancer patients increased 4.5 percent to 11 percent between 2003 and 2011.

Though breast cancer in men is rare, those with the health issue are more likely than women to develop breast cancer in their healthy breast in the future. However, health officials noted that patients should talk with their doctors about concerns, risks and benefits of the potential treatment before making any definite decisions.

"The increase in the rate of this costly, serious procedure with no evidence of survival benefit comes, paradoxically, at a time of greater emphasis on quality and value in cancer care," said study leader Ahmedin Jemal, vice president of surveillance and health services research at the American Cancer Society. "Health care providers should be aware that the increase we've seen in removal of the unaffected breast is not limited to women, and doctors should carefully discuss with their male patients the benefits, harms, and costs of this surgery to help patients make informed decisions about their treatments."

Related Articles

Breast Cancer Blood Test Identifies Tumor Returns

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).