Having to undergo a double mastectomy is usually a tough decision to make. Unfortunately, many women with breast cancer have to make such a decision even though tumors are located only in one of the breasts. Why? Simply because they fear that the cancer would appear in the healthy breast as well.

 

Even women who have a high risk of breast cancer, meaning those with a family history of the disease or those scoring high at the Gail model test, choose to have their breasts removed out of fear that they would someday develop cancer.

 

All these women now have a source of “inspiration,” which will help them make more informed decisions suitable for their situations. And this happens thanks to a new study by Houston researchers published in the journal Cancer.

 

The study found that there are three factors linked to the occurrence of breast cancer in the healthy breast. Women who have more than one tumor when being diagnosed have a higher chance to see the cancer come back in the healthy breast. Also, the risk is higher when having invasive lobular breast cancer, which begins in the milk-producing glands and invades surrounding tissue. Finally, if a patient scores high at the Gail model test, her chances to have breast cancer in the healthy breast are also high.

 

“Not all patients are equal in that risk. Perhaps we can help patients to really more carefully understand their risk and make decisions in a more informed way,” Dr. Kelly Hunt, a surgical oncology professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said.