Cancer and Your Genes

Prophylactic Mastectomy for a BRCA Mutation: One Woman's Perspective

Worth reading:

Daily Beast Writer, Lizzie Stark's perspective on her prophylactic mastectomy for a BRCA mutation, "Good-Bye to My Breasts"

Brewing Turf War Between Breast Surgeons and Plastic Surgeons Over Breast Reconstruction

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog has an interesting story on a brewing turf war between breast surgeons and plastic surgeons over breast reconstruction procedures.

Some women with breast cancer - including some with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations undergoing bilateral mastectomy - decide to have breast reconstruction performed.  This procedure has generally been performed by a plastic surgeon in a separate procedure from the mastectomy itself.  Now, as noted by the WSJ, a growing number of breast surgeons (without plastics training) are learning the breast reconstruction procedures and beginning to offer it at the same time as the mastectomy itself. 

Undoubtedly, this will lead to some turf wars.  If you are shopping around for a breast reconstruction surgeon, the most important question to ask is how many breast reconstruction procedures have they done...