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Challenge in Breast Cancer Treatment: Is Prophylactic
Mastectomy Indicated?
Helen Guarda, MD. Department of Surgery, Louisiana State
University School of Medicine, New Orleans.
Significant controversy has arisen regarding the fate of
the contralateral breast patient diagnosed with breast cancer.
Women with lobular carcinoma, strong family history of breast
cancer, inherited breast cancer gene, and childhood irradiation
frequently choose surgery over surveillance. The decision
becomes difficult when the patient has in situ cancer, fibrocystic
disease, and no family history but requests bilateral mastectomy.
Currently, there are no set guidelines for prophylactic mastectomy.
During the last 5 years, we have done 52 bilateral breast
reconstructions. We retrospectively studied the records of
all patients who had prophylactic mastectomy. Our results
of indications and a review of reported series will be given.
Southern Medical Journal Volume
90, Number 10, October 1997
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