Surgery is rarely used in the prevention of cancer, but does play a role for some patients that are determined to be at high-risk for developing breast cancer. Preventive mastectomy (also called prophylactic or risk-reducing mastectomy) is the surgical removal of one or both breasts in an effort to prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Research suggests that preventive mastectomy may significantly reduce the chance of developing breast cancer in moderate- and high-risk women. However, no one can be certain that this procedure will protect an individual woman from breast cancer.
Doctors also sometimes recommend removing the ovaries from high-risk women. This may lessen both breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Doctors do not always agree on the most effective way to manage the care of women who have a strong family history of breast/ovarian cancer and/or have other risk factors for the disease.
Please visit the National Cancer Institute website for more information.
