Removal of Breasts & Ovaries to prevent cancer

[Wee Kaz]

I can't believe what I'm hearing, I've just heard on the radio that doctors have suggested that inorder to get rid of breast and ovarian cancer us woman should consider having them removed if there is a history in your family!! Bet it was a male doctor, would he get his bits removed!!!!!!

[andy hughes]

I think he would - because this is a medical decision, and I doubt if it's based on some flippant half-heated belief that a woman won't miss one breast because she has two ..... I really do think that this is offered as a last resort, and any woman has the right to make the decision. So, in defence of male doctors, I don't think gender is the issue - it's care for the patient, and I am sure a proportion of women doctors would recomend surgery to men with a history of testicular cancer, and be most upset if someone tried to suggest they were man-haters because of it. Doctors don't like removing parts of patients, but they like patients' dying, if it can be prevented, even less. That's what being a doctor is all about isn't it?

[coemgen]

My mum died from breast cancer, and though not any more at risk than anyone else because of this (she was over 50 and no one else has had any form of cancer in the family), I would definitely have this done if I thought this could significantly reduce my chances of contracting breast cancer.

[bimsey]

If it was a matter of life or death ... whats a few body parts.

[Kit]

Not all forms of breast cancer are hereditary. Even with a family history, a woman would not automatically have an increased chance of having cancer in the future. It would be a matter of individual discussion with the surgeon - all surgery carries some risk, and no surgeon is going to operate if the risks outweigh the potential benefits.

[vittoria]

There was an article in today's Guardian on this issue. It said that in some countries (US and Austria) they have a different way of dealing with this, not involving surgery. You should be able to get the article on line for additional reading if interested.

[mikewith]

Wee Kaz - there's now an Answerbank article following on from your question: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article.go?id=3421