Study: Women increasingly opt for mastectomy

0 Comments | USA TODAY, May, 2008 | by Liz Szabo

More breast cancer patients are undergoing mastectomies, reversing a trend in which women were choosing less extensive surgeries that let them keep their breasts, a new study suggests.

The change appears to be driven by the increased use of MRIs, or magnetic resonance imaging, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who reported their findings Thursday. If an MRI finds cancer in more than one area, doctors might suggest removing the entire breast, instead of just the original lump.

The study was conducted at the Mayo Clinic but co-author Matthew Goetz says preliminary evidence from other studies suggest that mastectomy rates may be rising across the country, not just at his hospital.

Mayo Clinic doctors began using MRIs...