London - Women with early stage breast cancer should not have a full mastectomy, a major study has claimed.
They were more likely to survive if they had breast-conserving surgery to remove the lump alone than if they had the more traumatic operation, doctors found.
They believe the dramatic findings may be down to the fact that the women who had lumpectomies also had a course of radiotherapy.
The study of 37 000 women released recently estimated that those who had a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy had a 77 percent chance of surviving for ten years.
The researchers, from Utrecht in the Netherlands, calculated that those who had a mastectomy, when the whole breast is removed, but had no radiotherapy, were only 60 percent likely to survive for the next decade.
Study leader Professor Sabine Siesling, of the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, said: “Comparison of survival outcomes after breast-conserving therapy followed by radiation therapy, versus mastectomy without radiation therapy, could provide important information to help support the shared decision-making process and improve the quality of breast cancer care.”
She warned that the results may have been slightly skewed by the fact that women who opt for breast-conserving therapy are likely to be younger.
But Professor Siesling added: “We think that radiation therapy may have played an important role in the difference in the outcomes from both treatments, although we cannot prove it with our data. We suggest that breast-conserving therapy should be the treatment of choice, especially in [early] breast cancer when it is medically feasible and according to the patient’s wish.”
Rachel Rawson, clinical nurse specialist at charity Breast Cancer Care, said: “This fascinating study could reassure some patients that a lumpectomy coupled with radiotherapy can lower risk of recurrence as much as, or in some cases even more, than a mastectomy.
“It also suggests that it may be radiotherapy that has played an important part, although we would need further studies to prove this. These findings could mean that less women need a mastectomy and can have less invasive treatment.
“However, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy will not be an option for all women and some will make the personal choice to have a mastectomy.
“It is vital that women have access to support and information as they make decisions about their treatment.”
Professor Arnie Purushotham, senior clinical adviser at Cancer Research UK, added: “Other clinical trials have shown that women survive for a similar amount of time whether they have had breast-conserving treatment or mastectomy.
“It’s important to remember that both treatments are safe and effective and women are offered the most appropriate treatment for their cancer.”
The results were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas.
Daily Mail