What is a preventive mastectomy?
This is surgery to remove one or more breasts to reduce the risk for breast cancer. It’s also called prophylactic mastectomy. Some women who have a very high risk for breast cancer make this choice. This surgery has been shown to reduce the risk for breast cancer by 90% in very high-risk women. Some women who have had this surgery, though, have regretted it. This irreversible decision should be made carefully. It should be done only after extensive consultation with a breast-cancer expert and a genetic counselor. With each expert, talk about the risks, benefits, and other alternatives.
