Articles
Preventive (prophylactic) mastectomy: Surgery to reduce breast cancer risk
With whom should high-risk women discuss their options?
Content
Who may consider prophylactic mastectomy to reduce breast cancer risk?
With whom should women at high risk discuss their options?
How much does prophylactic mastectomy reduce the risk of breast cancer?
What are the risks?
Are there other options for reducing the risk of breast cancer?
Content
Finding out you're at high risk of breast cancer leads to difficult questions and decisions.
One such question is whether to have preventive mastectomy (prophylactic mastectomy) — surgery to remove one or both breasts in hopes of preventing or reducing your risk of breast cancer.
Keep in mind that being identified as having high risk doesn't mean you're certain to get breast cancer. All it means is that your likelihood of developing the disease is several times higher than that of women with average risk.
Understanding your individual level of risk can help you weigh your options for risk-reducing strategies, including prophylactic mastectomy.
