Women's Health
Double mastectomy offers no survival benefit for women with breast cancer
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Researchers examined data from more than 661,000 American women (average age 59) who were all diagnosed with cancer confined to one breast between 2000 and 2019. The malignancies ranged from the earliest stage of breast cancer, called ductal carcinoma in situ, to stage 3 invasive cancers. Participants were split into three groups: those who underwent lumpectomy; those who had only the affected breast removed, and those who decided on double mastectomy.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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