Mystery over Australian mastectomy outcomes
Why have mastectomies in Australia had worse mortality outcomes than breast-conserving surgery?
5th April 2019
By Clare Pain
Australian women who have mastectomy for breast cancer may be at higher risk of death than those who opt for breast-conserving surgery, according to a systematic review.
Examining five Australian studies of breast cancer outcomes by type of surgery, women undergoing mastectomy had between 35% and 82% greater mortality risk during follow-up than those who had breast-conserving surgery, the results showed.
The findings contradicted international studies that had shown mastectomy and breast