MIAMI – In addition to a thorough discussion of the risks and benefits of breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy, physicians need to address the individual concerns that each patient will have before choosing a procedure, Dr. Patrick Borgen, chair of the department of surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., said.
The facts do not support the superiority of one procedure over another for all women, Dr. Borgen said at the annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference, held by Physicians’ Education Resource. When discussing the options, each individual patient will have unique concerns and quality of life issues that need to be factored into a collaborative decision about the choice of procedure.
Not including mastectomy in the conversation could be a disservice to the patient, Dr. Borgen said. Quality of life over time, patient anxiety, and “the price of vigilance” are additional factors that patients consider when weighing their surgical options.
Dr. Borgen had no relevant financial disclosures.