International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

More women are removing their healthy breast after having cancer diagnosed in the other, even though there is a lack of evidence that this can improve survival rates, it is claimed.

According to a study set to appear in the Cancer journal, the removal of a non-cancerous breast is one method of reducing a woman's risk of falling ill.

However, there is little information available on the prevalence of prophylactic mastectomies for preventing breast cancer among high-risk women, or on the success of the surgery in preventing tumours in women's sole healthy breast.

Researchers led by Stephen Edge of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, US, stated that the study showed how prophylactic mastectomy was an uncommon procedure performed most commonly on women with a history of breast cancer.

Dr Edge stated: "Although the total number of prophylactic mastectomies performed per year was small, it appears that the use of the surgery is increasing.

"Women with breast cancer should have careful counselling regarding benefits and risks before proceeding with prophylactic mastectomy of the other breast."

AFP recently reported that breast and cervical cancers threaten the lives of many women in the developing world.