Dr. Hewitt on Considerations for Conservation Vs Mastectomy in Breast Cancer

Kelly Hewitt, MD, assistant professor of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses treatment considerations for breast conservation vs mastectomy in breast cancer.

When deciding between breast conservation vs mastectomy for a patient with breast cancer, tumor size in relation to breast size is an important factor, Hewitt says. However, oncoplastic techniques have helped push the boundaries to identify more patients for breast conservation, Hewitt says. In previous years, mastectomy was automatically considered for patients who presented with multifocal or a multicentric breast cancer, and recent advances have made these patients potential candidates for breast conservation, Hewitt adds.

Additionally, if a patient is found to have genetic mutations that can put them at an increased risk for cancer in the future, it is important to have an informed discussion with the patient to decide which approach can best reduce their risk for cancer moving forward, Hewitt concludes.