September 8, 2011 — For younger breast cancer patients, breast-conserving surgery may be a viable option. The results of a new retrospective study found no significant difference in the rates of local recurrence between women treated with breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy.
Overall, women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 years or younger have low overall recurrence rates, according to the study, which was highlighted at a press briefing held in advance of the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium.
"Women aged 40 and under diagnosed with breast cancer today have a good prognosis with a low risk of breast cancer recurrence at 5 and 10 years," said lead author Julliette Buckley, MD, a fellow in breast surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "We demonstrated similar rates of local recurrence after lumpectomy compared to mastectomy, suggesting that lumpectomy is a safe option for young women
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749310