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Article: Study: Breast cancer avoided with mastectomy.(News)
- Article from:
- The Boston Herald
- Article date:
- July 19, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Boston Herald. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A new study indicates that women prone to breast cancer because of a genetic mutation can avoid the often-deadly ailment through a drastic preventative measure: having their healthy breasts removed.
In a study released in today's New England Journal of Medicine, Dutch researchers found that none of the women with mutant genes who underwent the controversial prophylactic mastectomy developed cancer. By contrast, one-eighth of those who opted only for regular checkups got breast cancer, with one of them dying.
"We can say to our patients that this method of prevention is nearly 100 percent effective," said Dr. Jan Klijn of the Erasmus University Medical ...