There is no way to know how this surgery would affect a particular woman. Some women with BRCA mutations will develop a very aggressive breast cancer early in life, and a prophylactic mastectomy might add many years to their life expectancy. Some women with BRCA mutations never develop breast cancer, and these women would not benefit from the surgery. It is important to realize that while this operation removes nearly all of the breast tissue, a small amount remains. So, while this operation reduces the risk of breast cancer, it does not guarantee that a cancer will not develop in the small amount of breast tissue remaining after surgery.
Women can prevent breast cancer by following a low-fat diet.
Studies of fat in the diet as it relates to breast cancer risk have often given conflicting results. Most studies found that breast cancer is less common in countries where the typical diet is low in total fat, low in polyunsaturated fat, and low in saturated fat. On the other hand, many studies of women in the United States have not found breast cancer risk to be related to dietary fat intake. Researchers are still not sure how to explain this apparent disagreement. An injury to the breast causes cancer.