Breast Cancer Surgery Raises Concern over Cosmetic vs Medical Recommendations

Breast cancer surgery is not a straight forward procedure. According to a recent industry article Monica Morrow, chief of the Breast Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York expressed concerns about recent innovations in breast cancer surgery that allow doctors to minimize postsurgical breast deformities. Her concern is that doctors may be stressing cosmetic outcomes to the detriment of actual rates of cure. “We must ensure that surgical approaches designed to improve cosmetic outcomes do not increase local failure and the risk of subsequent death from breast cancer,” she said. Her editorial was published on the British Medical Journal website.

Breast Cancer Surgery| Balancing Cosmetic and Medical

Breast cancer surgery sparks conflicting philosophies in some cases.Her thoughts are that aesthetic considerations, have become more prominent among multiple surgeons over the past thirty years, and her position is that they must remain secondary. In recent years, the new innovative techniques of oncoplastic and endoscopic surgery, which require minimal skin incision, have become increasingly attractive to surgeons and patients both. But, Morrow said, the results of these procedures are not being substantially evaluated from the view of their effectiveness and overall cure rates, versus the more-invasive surgical alternatives.

Breast Cancer Surgery | Patients Making Informed Decisions

Breast cancer surgery offers new and innovative options for patients. Medicine has achieved remarkable advances in breast cancer survival over the past decade, but, Morrow warned, it risks retreating in this area if cosmetics are overly emphasized. Existing information concerning breast reconstruction can be confusing to any patient with a breast cancer diagnosis. While there are medical professionals who debate the cosmetic aspect of breast cancer surgical methods, there are also those who believe preserving as much of the breast as possible is important. Dr. Seify works with the breast cancer surgeon and the patient to help make recommendations for the most appropriate breast reconstruction options. Breast cancer treatment is often a process that involves different specialties and it is not uncommon for patients to encounter different philosophies that exist between surgeons. Dr. Seify advises his patients that his extensive expertise and skill in both cosmetic as well as reconstructive plastic surgery allows him to possess a unique perspective concerning the best recommendations for his patients. Regardless of the type of breast cancer surgery patients should feel comfortable with their team of surgeons as they are made aware of the best recommendations and options available to them. Dr. Seify and staff are committed to helping patients through the breast reconstruction process with professional care and compassion.