Prophylactic Mastectomy: Would You Knowingly Have This Surgery Done to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Many women today are battling breast cancer, while some women are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Women with a higher risk of breast cancer are those who have family members that have had breast cancer. Some women are choosing to fight back in a drastic way. In order to prevent breast cancer, many women are choosing to have a procedure done called a prophylactic mastectomy. Would you choose to have this surgery done in order to lessen your chances of developing breast cancer?

Prophylactic mastectomy, also known as preventive mastectomy, is a surgery that removes the breasts, breast tissue, nipples, and some of the overlying skin. Many surgeons prefer to remove the entire breast because it allows them to get rid of as much breast tissue as possible. This also allows for fewer breast cells that could develop into cancer.

Women who have decided to take this drastic course of treatment will often feel overwhelmed. They wonder what it will be like to loose a part of them that makes them feel like a woman. If a woman chooses to have a prophylactic mastectomy, she also has the choice of breast reconstruction. Both of these procedures can be combined and usually takes about eight hours to complete. Once the surgeon has removed both breasts and the surrounding tissue, they can put expanders under the muscles of the chest. This will allow them to expand the chest. The expanders are left in for about one to six months, creating a more natural appearance. Once the body has adjusted, the expander is reduced to the person's correct size. This will accommodate the breast implants. The expanders are then removed and the permanent implant is put in. Many women will choose to have this done after their mastectomy so that they may feel like a complete woman again.

There are three factors that your doctor will look at to see if you qualify for this procedure. One factor is a family history of breast cancer or you have already developed breast cancer. A woman may qualify if she has had one or two relatives - like a mother, sister, or daughter- that has gotten the disease. Also, if these relatives developed cancer before the age of 50 this could also be another qualification. Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast may be at higher risk to develop it in the other. They also would make good candidates for the surgery.

Another factor is genetics. Women can be tested genetically and see if they have an abnormal breast cancer gene. These genes are BRCA1 or BRCA2. These genes are associated with an inherited type of breast cancer. Doing this type of testing is also good for families who have a history of breast cancer. The third factor that doctors will look for is called LCIS or lobular carcinoma in situ. LCIS is a precancerous condition. Women who are tested for LCIS, and who have a family history of the disease, are five times more likely to develop breast cancer.

If you are a woman who has a high risk of developing breast cancer, understand that it doesn't mean that you will actually get this disease. Having this surgery is a difficult decision, one that should be thought over long and hard. Talk with your doctor and discuss your risk factors. Only you and your doctor will know if this is right for you.