Double Mastectomy Rise Doesn’t Boost Cancer Survival Rate
This article is for subscribers only.
The number of women who have both breasts removed following a cancer diagnosis has risen to more than 1 in 10, even as a new study shows the surgery doesn’t improve survival over less drastic treatment.
About 12 percent of women opted for a double mastectomy in 2011, up from 2 percent in 1998, according to a study released yesterday by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Among those younger than 40, one-third underwent the procedure.