In many facilities, it's actually cheaper to remove a breast than it is to perform a lumpectomy and provide the necessary follow-up radiation therapy. In a study of 157 hospitals, patients treated by doctors trained before 1981 were less likely to have lumpectomies or other breast-saving surgery than women who had younger doctors. One study indicated that women getting mastectomies were more likely to have followed their doctors' recommendations, but women getting lumpectomies were more likely to have obtained a second opinion, and felt more actively involved in making the decision. A study of 175 surgeons found that even doctors who know that lumpectomy is as safe as mastectomy may persuade their patients to get mastectomies by making subtly biased recommendations. Other studies showed that some women were not even told that lumpectomies were an option.
Women deserve better.
Breast cancer patients should make the choices that are best for them, wherever they live and no matter how affluent they are. We need to do a better job of making sure that all doctors and their patients have accurate, unbiased information so that women can make those choices, no matter who they are, or who provides their medical care. Please visit our Newsroom for the Press Release of this article. Eye St NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005.