Breast Reconstruction News

Benefits of Stem Cell Breast Reconstruction

December 15, 2011 -- Our fat tissue contains a lot more than just fat. It’s been known for many years that the fat that makes our jeans tight and skin loose contains large numbers of small cells with the potential to grow into many types of the tissue and play a central role in healing and regeneration. Only recently though have doctors been able to apply these exciting laboratory findings to help patients in clinical practice... Read whole story

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Stem Cell Breast Reconstruction: Understanding the Issues

December 15, 2011 -- Stem cells have captured the imagination of the American public and offer great promise for new therapies in many areas of medical practice. In particular, the efforts to establish better therapies for breast reconstruction will improve the lives of cancer survivors and help restore a woman’s body to the natural form after cancer surgery... Read whole story

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After Mastectomy, Breast Reconstruction Is Safe for Older Women

December 13, 2011 -- Breast reconstruction is safe for older breast cancer patients who've had a mastectomy, according to a new study.

Mastectomy is surgical removal of the breast.

"The removal of a breast has implications for the psychological, social and sexual well-being of the patient, establishing the need that reconstruction should be offered," Dr. Marissa Howard-McNatt, an assistant professor of surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in Winston-Salem, S.C., said in a center news release. "However, little is known about rates of reconstruction in elderly women after breast cancer... Read whole story

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Many Women Don't Get Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy

December 8, 2011 -- Despite the psychological and cosmetic benefits, fewer than 1 in 4 women with insurance have breast reconstruction immediately after having a mastectomy to treat their breast cancer.

Women who are on Medicare or Medicaid, who are older, who are black, and who are treated at rural or non-teaching hospitals are even less likely to have immediate reconstructive surgery. Research has shown that breast reconstruction improves patients' psychological and sexual well-being... Read whole story

Fat Injections: Safe for Breast Reconstruction After Cancer?

July 30, 2011 -- Fat injections to contour the breasts after breast cancer surgery, known as lipofilling, appear safe, according to a new study.

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Update on the Safety of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants (2011)

June 23, 2011 -- Breast implants are medical devices that are used to augment breast size or to reconstruct the breast following mastectomy or to correct a congenital abnormality. Breast implants consist of a silicone outer shell and a filler (most commonly silicone gel or saline). Approximately 5 to10 million women worldwide have breast implants.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics, there were 296,203 breast augmentation procedures and 93,083 breast reconstruction procedures performed in the United States in 2010. Approximately half the procedures used saline-filled implants and half used silicone gel-filled implants. Figure 1 shows a photograph of woman holding a breast implant... Read whole story

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'Fat Transfer' Gets Early Safety OK in Breast Reconstruction

May 25, 2011 -- A procedure commonly used in breast reconstruction but lacking evidence as to its safety does, in fact, appear to be safe and unlikely to increase the chances of breast cancer returning, a new study has found.

Called lipofilling, the procedure involves taking fat from one area of the body, such as the abdomen, and using it to correct small defects or asymmetry during breast reconstruction... Read whole story

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FDA Medical Device Safety Communication: Reports of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) in Women with Breast Implants

January 27, 2011 -- The FDA is exploring a possible link between breast implants and ALCL. ALCL is a rare cancer of the immune system, which can occur anywhere in the body. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program1 of the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 1 in 500,000 women per year in the U.S. is diagnosed with ALCL. ALCL in the breast is even more rare; approximately 3 in 100 million women per year in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALCL in the breast... Read whole story

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Post-mastectomy, women prefer silicone implants

November 9, 2010 -- Women who choose silicone implants after a mastectomy tend to be more satisfied with their breasts than women who get saline-filled implants, according to a new study.

Like women who get cosmetic implants, those who get silicone implants as part of breast reconstruction tend to be happier with the look and feel of the breast... Read whole story

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Post-mastectomy, women prefer silicone implants

November 9, 2010 -- Women who choose silicone implants after a mastectomy tend to be more satisfied with their breasts than women who get saline-filled implants, according to a new study.

Like women who get cosmetic implants, those who get silicone implants as part of breast reconstruction tend to be happier with the look and feel of the breast... Read whole story

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Dramatic Rise Seen in Bilateral Mastectomy for Breast Cancer

November 9, 2010 -- A recent analysis shows a dramatic increase in bilateral mastectomy among women with cancer in one breast, despite evidence that it prolongs survival. Findings from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) show that opting to have both breast removed has become an increasingly popular option, especially for young insured women with breast cancer with disease in one breast... Read whole story

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Study Says Mammography Accounts for about One-Third of Reduction in Deaths from Breast Cancer from Screening Programs

September 30, 2010 -- A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine finds the availability of screening mammography was associated with a reduction in the rate of death from breast cancer, but the screening itself accounted for only about a third of the total reduction in breast cancer mortality. Most of the reduction, the authors claim, was due to improvements in treatment and faster response to symptoms. Researchers analyzed data from 40,075 women with breast cancer in Norway. They conclude that the difference in the reduction in mortality between the current and historical groups that could be attributed to screening alone was 2.4 deaths per 100,000 person-years, or a third of the total reduction of 7.2 deaths per 100,00 person-years... Read whole story

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Mammograms’ Value in Cancer Fight at Issue

September 30, 2010 -- A new study suggests that increased awareness and improved treatments rather than mammograms are the main force in reducing the breast cancer death rate.

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Mammogram Benefit Seen for Women in Their 40s

September 30, 2010 -- Researchers reported Wednesday that mammograms can cut the breast cancer death rate by 26 percent for women in their 40s. But their results were greeted with skepticism by some experts who say they may have overestimated the benefit.

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An unbearable wait for breast-reconstruction surgery

September 27, 2010 -- For 12 years, the mirrors in Debbie Wright's home have been covered up so that she doesn't have to confront the image of her disfigured chest, the legacy of two mastectomies.

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New York passes law mandating disclosure of breast reconstruction options

September 03, 2010 -- Breast cancer patients in New York will benefit from a new law signed by Gov. David Paterson on Aug. 15 that requires hospitals and doctors in that state to discuss options for breast reconstruction with patients before performing surgery.

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Breast cancer survivor helps others with reconstructive surgery costs

July 18, 2010 -- SEMINOLE -- A Bay area native who beat breast cancer is now spearheading a nonprofit organization that provides free breast reconstruction to uninsured women.

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WellPoint routinely targets breast cancer patients

April 23, 2010 -- Shortly after they were diagnosed with breast cancer, each of the women learned that her health insurance had been canceled. There was Yenny Hsu, who lived and worked in Los Angeles. And there was Patricia Reilling, a successful art gallery owner and interior designer from Louisville, Kentucky.

Neither of these women knew about the other. But besides their similar narratives, they had something else in common: Their health insurance carriers were subsidiaries of WellPoint, which has 33.7 million policyholders -- more than any other health insurance company in the United States... Read whole story

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In Patent Fight, Nature, 1; Company, 0

April 4, 2010 -- For years, women have gone to a genetics clinic at Columbia University, stuck out their arms and watched their blood fill glass tubes.

In the tube is a map of their past — the DNA passed down thousands of generations — and a glimpse of their future.

You might think they would have first claim on the intimate narratives of their own genetic codes... Read whole story

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U.S. Judge Rejects Breast Cancer Gene Patents

April 4, 2010 -- The most controversial patents in biotechnology—covering breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2—were declared invalid yesterday by a U.S. district court. Judge Robert Sweet, of the federal court in New York City, rejected the BRCA patents in a 156-page opinion that sides with advocacy groups and medical organizations that sought to have the patents tossed out. Among other points, the opponents argued that human genes are a product of nature, and for that reason cannot be patented. The judge didn't buy all of the logic, but did agree to scrap the patents. The company that lost the case, Myriad Genetics of Salt Lake City, immediately declared that it will appeal the judge's decision... Read whole story

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Rebuilding bodies and confidence after breast cancer

January 22, 2010 -- Over 254,000 women in the United States face breast cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Surgery is usually the first line of attack against the cancer.

Thanks to advances in surgery, women now have the option of surgery that removes only part of the breast tissue, which is referred to as breast conservation surgery, lumpectomy or segmental mastectomy... Read whole story

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HealthWatch: Artificial Skin

January 14, 2010 -- A diagnosis of breast cancer has been made a little less devastating because of breast reconstruction techniques, but nearly 70-percent of women who have breast surgery do not have reconstruction, partly because they're not aware of the new options. One of those options is artificial skin, not to replace lost skin but to extend and expand the tissues underneath, to give a much more natural result.

It can all be done at the same time as the original mastectomy. Suzanne Sullivan was only 33 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Turns out she had the breast cancer gene mutation so, "I chose the double mastectomy because I didn't always want to worry that it was recurring," she said. "It would have been more traumatic to wake up and have no breasts... Read whole story

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Rebuilding After Breast Cancer

January 13, 2010 -- The scars from a mastectomy are not only physical but emotional. And the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said 70 percent of breast cancer patients who are eligible are not informed of their options. One option is donated human tissue.

It can now allow many survivors to move on physically and mentally. The sweet sounds of the violin helped Donna Bramante Indelicato get through one of the roughest times of her life. A recurrence of breast cancer forced her to have a double mastectomy... Read whole story

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Breast Reconstruction: A Woman’s Choice

November 20, 2009 -- Breast reconstruction surgeon, researcher, and author Dr. Ron Israeli, who practices in Long Island, New York, talks with Post editors about treatment options and the importance of coordinating cancer care.

When to consider?

Q: A new diagnosis of breast cancer is overwhelming. At what point should women explore their reconstructive options... Read whole story

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Sen. Coburn Falsely Stated Senate Bill Would Tax Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction

November 19, 2009 -- Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) falsely claimed the Senate Democratic health care reform bill would tax post-mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery. In reality, the bill specifically exempts cosmetic surgery "necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease..." Read whole story

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Will Stem Cells Help Breast Cancer Survivors Regain Breasts?

November 17, 2009 -- The prospect of a woman regrowing her own breast tissue following a mastectomy may be a welcome one, but some experts say initial reports on new trials underway to do that with stem cells in the U.K. and Australia have presented an overly rosy outlook.

British, Australian and American news outlets reported last week that groups in Melbourne and London had begun trials to use fat stem cells, derived from fat tissue from a patient's body, to rebuild a woman's breast following surgery. But while some predicted that the treatment would be available within a few years, that estimate ignores many of the safety concerns that accompany this type of research.... Read whole story

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Immediate postmastectomy reconstruction tied to better breast cancer survival

November 11, 2009 -- Immediate reconstruction following mastectomy is associated with a 26% reduction in breast cancer-specific mortality, according to a report in the October 15th issue of Cancer.

"Although the results of our study are interesting, it must be remembered that an association between postmastectomy reconstruction and improved survival doesn't mean causation," Dr. Michael Bezuhly from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada told Reuters Health... Read whole story

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Breast cancer patients advised to consider options

October 30, 2009 -- Less than an hour before her mastectomy was scheduled to begin, Eve Wallinga's surgeon gave her the bad news: Because of unforeseen complications, doctors wouldn't be able to reconstruct a new breast for her immediately after removing her cancerous breast as planned. She was told she'd have to wait another day for the plastic surgery... Read whole story

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Innovative breast cancer treatment makes reconstruction easier

October 29, 2009 -- She's an award-winning reporter and a familiar face to WSBT viewers. Now this former reporter wants you to know about a surgical alternative you may not be aware of. She says it is a message every woman should hear.

Denise Bohn Stewart covered some of WSBT’s biggest stories, including the Benton Harbor riots. But little did she know that when she left the business she'd work harder than she ever had before... Read whole story

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Breast Augmentation, Reconstruction Hot Topics at Plastic Surgery Conference

October 28, 2009 -- Breast augmentation using fat transfer techniques, and new technologies in breast reconstruction, were among the topics stirring up vigorous debate at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The Plastic Surgery Channel asked three industry thought leaders for their insights... Read whole story

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More opt to remove noncancerous breasts

October 19, 2009 -- When Lynne Berg had one breast removed because of a malignant tumor, she decided it wasn't worth waiting to see if cancer ever infiltrated the other breast.

She had her healthy breast removed, too.

There was no doubt in her mind that it was the right thing to do, given her family history and the genetic mutation she carried that placed her at higher risk for breast cancer... Read whole story

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More women choose contralateral prophylactic mastectomy

October 7, 2009 -- The number of women with cancer in one breast who opt to have the other breast preventively removed — known as a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy — more than doubled from 1995 through 2005 in New York state, according to a study published in the journal Cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports.

There is no evidence that having a preventive mastectomy improves survival, according to lead author Stephen Edge, a professor of surgery and oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Edge said, “We are not making a value judgment that this is good or bad.” He added, “But it’s an important trend. The concern is that we have women doing this out of a gut reaction” without sufficient counseling about risk... Read whole story

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Breast reconstruction varies by race, U-M study finds

October 5, 2009 -- Latinas who spoke little English were less likely to undergo reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy for breast cancer, according to a study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The study compared breast reconstruction among white women, African-American women, Latina women who were highly acculturated and Latina women who were less acculturated. Acculturation is a measure of how much a person is integrated into American society. For Latinas, a significant factor is whether they speak primarily English or Spanish... Read whole story

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Turning a new page

September 10, 2009 -- Elisha Daniels vowed not to let a breast cancer diagnosis destroy her sense of style.

So she painted her toenails bright-red for surgery. “Dressed to the nines” for every chemo appointment. Donned Hermes scarves after she lost her hair.

“Everyone has to do what makes them feel good,” said Daniels, who, at 42, completed her last breast reconstruction-related surgery this summer... Read whole story

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More Women Are Choosing Mastectomies at Mayo Clinic

July 28, 2009 -- More women have been having mastectomies to treat early stage breast cancer at the Mayo Clinic since 2004 than during the previous 6 years, according to an analysis of surgeries done at the clinic between 1997 and 2006. While the reasons for the apparent shift are not known, the rise in mastectomy rates marks a reversal—radical surgery to remove the breast had been in decline in the United States, and at the clinic.

The findings, published online July 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, appear at a time when many in the field are wondering about the role of mastectomy in this disease... Read whole story

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Are Breast Cancer Patients Being Kept In The Dark?

July 8, 2009 -- Despite the increase of breast reconstruction procedures performed in 2008, nearly 70 percent of women who are eligible for the procedure are not informed of the reconstructive options available to them, according to a recently published report.

Newly released statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows there were more than 79,000 breast reconstruction procedures performed in 2008 – a 39 percent increase over 2007... Read whole story

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Fact or Fiction: Are silicone implants safe?

June 18, 2009 -- Have the myths about silicone implants stopped you from having plastic surgery?

Exactly how safe is it to have a breast enhancement?

Dr. Anthony Admire, a Board certified plastic surgeon, is busting myths to find out the good and the bad effects... Read whole story

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Reconstruction Do-Overs

June 17, 2009 -- Breast reconstruction has given women the option to replace a breast that has been removed because of cancer. But reconstruction techniques, like most medical procedures, have improved through the years for those who, for a variety of reasons, must have their old reconstruction redone.

In 1986, I chose to have my right breast reconstructed after undergoing a modified radical mastectomy with axillary node dissection at age 37. Since I faced four months of chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer, my surgeon suggested I not have immediate reconstruction at the time of surgery but wait a year to allow myself to finish treatment and be ready emotionally and physically to have the reconstruction.... Read whole story

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Help in a time of need

June 11, 2009 -- Sheryl Lawson lost her job as a computer programmer two years ago and has no health insurance.

But there she was on a recent morning at Barnes-Jewish Hospital's Breast Health Center with a suspicious lump in her right breast... Read whole story

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Test leads women to have preventive surgery

June 09, 2009 -- They were only in their late 30s, but Amy Cosgriff and Rhonda Milligan decided to have their ovaries removed a few months ago. Milligan also elected to get rid of both breasts.

These two healthy, cancer-free women — good friends and former classmates at Petersburg PORTA High School — willingly entered a world most women don’t face until menopause. They have hot flashes without warning. They are more likely to have osteoporosis and heart disease in middle age... Read whole story

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'Hurt Make You Better'

June 06, 2009 -- When the chemotherapy treatments began last summer, and her coffee-brown locks began to bunch around the shower drain, Nancy Cooley drove to her eldest son's home and walked downstairs to the utility room. Chris already had a stool, newspaper on the floor and an electric razor waiting.

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Adult Stem Cell Research Helps Breast Reconstruction After Lumpectomy

April 21, 2009 -- Irene MacKenzie had a lumpectomy for her early stage breast cancer leaving her with a hollow in her breast. The lumpectomy took care of the cancer, but what about her breast? Well, Irene was the first person in Britain to reap the benefits of Stem Cell research using Adult Stem Cells for breast reconstruction.... Read whole story

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Removing the Doubt

April 7, 2009 -- Karen Aulner, 36, has never been given a diagnosis of cancer. She has, however, been watching her older sister fight the disease since 2000. So when Aulner tested positive in 2004 for a gene mutation that put her at high risk of breast cancer, she asked her doctor to remove both of her healthy breasts.

"My sister was the healthiest person I ever knew," Aulner says. "She's slender, she worked out all the time, she loved fruits and vegetables -- and she's dying. If I could not have that happen to me? Heck, yeah"... Read whole story

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Q&A: Surgical Removal of a Healthy Breast

April 3, 2009 -- If a woman has breast cancer in one breast, should she have the healthy breast surgically removed to prevent the possibility of cancer in the future?

The procedure is known as contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). The decision whether to have one includes many factors, both emotional and physical.

According to researchers at M. D. Anderson, almost 3% of women in the United States who are diagnosed with cancer in one breast choose to have CPM, a figure that increased 150% from 1998 to 2003... Read whole story

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Cursed by her genes, Krystal changes her destiny

March 29, 2009 -- KRYSTAL BARTER calls it the family curse - four generations of women who have had breast cancer, each carrying a mutation in the BRCA1 gene.

Knowing she, too, carries the rogue gene that increases the likelihood of developing breast cancer to up to 80 per cent, she was determined she would not become the fifth generation to develop the deadly disease... Read whole story

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Former Canadian MP Stronach speaks out on breast cancer

March 25, 2009 -- Belinda Stronach is speaking out about her experience with breast cancer to promote an event aimed at raising funds for a new Toronto centre for treating and researching the disease.

The former MP and auto parts executive was diagnosed almost two years ago after finding a large lump in one breast... Read whole story

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Node transplant may help lymphedema's painful swelling

March 23, 2009 -- Two years after her mastectomy, Susan Cochrane spent the day in her Tecumseh yard planting flowers. She got a mild sunburn on her arms, though she had been careful to wear sunscreen and gloves.

That night, her left arm looked a little swollen and red. Within three days, the arm had thickened and gotten painful... Read whole story

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Fitness aids in cancer recovery

March 22, 2009 -- On a recent afternoon at Metro Fitness and Core­Vibes Studio in east Mont­gomery, the mood was peaceful. Gentle sunlight streamed in through the walls of upper windows as a small group of women made the rounds of the upstairs track, talking.

As they walked, they found they had more and more in common. The trials of chemotherapy. The ravag­es of surgery. Being able to call themselves survivors... Read whole story

Breast cancer patient shares her battle against disease

March 22, 2009 -- It is one of the scariest things for women over 50. But for Katy area resident Virginia Isbell, it was a nightmare scenario that came true.

“I was in the bathtub one evening, and I was giving myself my exam, which women are supposed to do when they are in the shower or the bath tub,” Isbell said. “I felt a lump, and it was a large lump, and I knew I hadn’t felt that a month before... Read whole story

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Family history can trump breast cancer gene test

November 17, 2008 -- If breast cancer runs in the family, women can be at high risk even if they test free of the disease's most common gene mutations, sobering new research shows. The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are linked with particularly aggressive hereditary breast cancer, and an increased risk of ovarian cancer, too.

When a breast cancer patient is found to carry one of those gene mutations, her relatives tend to breathe a sigh of relief if they test gene-free... Read whole story

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Breast reconstruction can have lasting benefits

Jul 4, 2008 -- Breast reconstruction after cancer surgery can have lasting benefits for women's psychological well-being and body image, a new study suggests.

Research has shown that for women who have a mastectomy to treat breast cancer, reconstructive surgery can provide a psychological lift, helping to improve self-esteem and body image... Read whole story

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President Bush Signs Landmark Genetic Nondiscrimination Information Act Into Law

May 22, 2008 -- U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law May 21 the first civil rights legislation of the new millennium, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). GINA is the first and only federal legislation that will provide protections against discrimination based on an individual’s genetic information in health insurance coverage and employment settings.

“This is a tremendous victory for every American not born with perfect genes – which means it’s a victory for every single one us,” said Representative Louise Slaughter... Read whole story

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Some women not told about breast reconstruction

May 2, 2008 -- Doctors don't universally discuss the option of breast reconstruction with all women undergoing mastectomy, results of a new study confirm.

Doctors are most apt to have these conversations with younger, more educated white women, than with older, less educated, Hispanic women, Dr. Caprice C. Greenberg, from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues found. Prior studies have shown that women who are not privy to these conversations are less likely to undergo breast reconstruction... Read whole story

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Breast cancer patients not told of reconstruction options when choosing mastectomy, lumpectomy

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Breast Reconstruction Studies:

Genetic Testing - Oct 2007

AlloDerm® in Breast Reconstruction - Sept 2007

Silicone Implant Safety - Nov 2006