Double mastectomies increase after high-profile celebrity surgeries

CELEBRITY endorsement of double mastectomies linked to fourfold increase in Queensland women requesting the drastic surgery.

CELEBRITY endorsement of double mastectomies has been linked to a fourfold increase in Queensland women requesting the drastic surgery.

Doctors have warned that while the surgery can be lifesaving for some women with deadly cancer genes, it is unnecessary for most.

But confusion over high-profile celebrity surgeries has been associated with an increasing trend towards women diagnosed with breast cancer wanting both breasts removed.

Queensland Health data for public and private hospitals statewide shows double mastectomies performed annually in the past 10 years rose from 80 in 2003/04 to 343 in 2012/13.

The number of women without any breast cancer undergoing the procedure also more than doubled to 49 in that period.

Leading public and private breast surgeon Associate Professor Ian Bennett said most women with breast cancer would only develop it on one side.

"For most women, breast cancer is a unilateral disease (one side) so it is not necessary to

Double mastectomies on the rise

do a mastectomy of both breasts," he said.

"People should not become confused by celebrity endorsement that they should

automatically consider double mastectomy.

"This is only a reasonable consideration for those women who do have the genetic predisposition with BRCA one or two gene."

Only five per cent of breast cancers may be related to BRCA genes which are associated with a 30 to 40 per cent increased risk of breast cancer on both sides.

Actor and humanitarian Angelina Jolie is the most high-profile celebrity to have had both breasts removed as a preventive measure because she carried the BRCA gene.

Other famous double mastectomy patients include actor Christina Applegate and TV host Sharon Osbourne.

Prof Bennett said women without a genetic risk factor had a 10 to 15 per cent chance of developing cancer in the other breast.

That was similar to the general risk of breast cancer at between 10 and 12 per cent.

"As this risk is very low, it is not necessary to jump to a double mastectomy as a solution," he said.

"There is no statistical or anecdotal data to suggest that double mastectomy has a higher

survival rate than lumpectomy (lump removal)."

Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift said recent publicity about genetic risk factors may have led to more women considering double mastectomies.

"Making the decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy is a very difficult choice, and it's vital that women have the support of clinical experts and loved ones," she said.

"Importantly, women who opt for a double mastectomy do so under the care of medical experts, who are well placed to provide clinical advice."

Dr Lea Budden, from James Cook University's School of Nursing, Midwifery & Nutrition said a number of factors contributed to a woman's decision including family history.

"If women have a family history of breast cancer such as mother, sister, grandmother having breast cancer they may decide they are not prepared to take the risk of again developing breast cancer," she said.

Leonie Young, a peer support co-ordinator with the The Wesley Hospital Kim Walters Choices Program, said fear was often the biggest impetus.

"There is the cosmetic side of it (being even on both sides) and comfort but I think the major consideration is just plain fear because you have been through this once," said Ms Young.

Beautiful You breast cancer patient advocate Debbie Clayton agreed women wanted to rid their lives of that fear.

"A lot of the girls I have dealt with will find that they have one (breast) off and within two years it's in the other breast," she said.

"They live with that fear every day, every day."

Sunshine Coast mum-of-three Nerrida Rose-Humphreys had one breast removed and underwent chemo while pregnant when she developed cancer at age 34.

She does not carry faulty genes but if she had her time over she would have both breasts removed to quash the fear.

"I still have the left side, so in the back of my mind I still worry and panic," she said.

"I check my left side every day without fail in the shower because you have that thought in your head."

Her fellow Beautiful You associate Tania Ormrod, 44, does have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene as well as a family gene mutation and underwent a double mastectomy and full breast reconstruction.

Ms Ormrod has been cancer free now for two years but said even getting rid of her breasts did not rid her life of the cancer cloud.

"I'm grateful for the two year clearance but you never rest easy," said Ms Ormrod.

"I have had friends that have been a couple of months off five years clear and found another tumour."

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