Breast reduction and subsequent cancer: a prophylactic perspective

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of breast-gland remodelling, for cosmetic or functional purposes, on cancer incidence during long-term post-surgical follow-up. We reviewed the literature investigating the ratio between the amount of breast tissue resected and cancer incidence during follow-up. Our analysis of the published data suggested that hypertrophic breast remodelling decreases the risk of breast and other types of cancer in post-operative patients. The actual risk reduction for patients over 40 years of age is related to the weight of the surgical specimens during the previous operation. Our conclusions support the use of breast-reduction surgery as a preventive measure in patients complaining of symptomatic breast enlargement, especially those with a family history of breast cancer.