Is there an increasing trend of risk-reducing prophylactic mastectomy procedure in preventing breast cancer among women?

Objectives: Prophylactic contralateral/bilateral mastectomy (PCM/PBM), as a risk-reducing mastectomy procedure, has a few evidence-based indica- tions; however, there is an increasing trend in the total number of operations globally. Worldwide famous actress Angelina Jolie was detected to have BRCA-1 mutation and underwent a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in 2013. The procedure was perceived as 'lifesaving' worldwide, which eventually led to a significant increase in BRCA gene mutation analysis and PCM/PBM. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate our risk-reducing PCM/PBM results.

Material And Methods: Twenty-seven patients underwent risk-reducing PCM/PBM between 2010-2018, but only 22 patients were included into the study. A retrospective analysis was carried out on demographics, family history, preoperative diagnoses, pathological findings, mastectomy details, reconstructive procedures, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, BRCA analysis, educational status, and mastectomy indications.

Results: Surgical indications or major reasons for surgery were as follows: BRCA-1 mutation (n= 5), BRCA-2 mutation (n= 3), malignant-like areas in magnetic resonance imaging (n= 2), lobular carcinoma in situ (n= 3) and intense anxiety (n= 9). Eighteen patients (82%) underwent an additional re- constructive procedure via implantation or autologous tissue and four patients (18%) underwent mastectomy only. PCM/PBM by years was as: 2010 (n= 1), 2011 (n= 0), 2012 (n= 1), 2013 (n= 2), 2014 (n= 1), 2015 (n= 2), 2016 (n= 3), 2017 (n= 4), 2018 (n= 8), which represents the recently increasing trend.

Conclusion: Risk-reducing PCM/PBM was performed in 59.1% of the patients (n= 13) for a significant medical reason, whereas for distress about a relapse or a new disease on the contralateral breast on the remaining 40.9% of the patients (n= 9). Evidence in the literature shows that risk-reducing mastectomy does not affect survival, although it lowers breast cancer incidence. Close surveillance, cancer screening, and chemoprevention methods should have priority.