Regarding surgery we hear questionable decisions urged by doctors and sometimes the discussion is about surgery of a cosmetic nature. However, when a woman faces breast cancer, unnecessary surgery just seems to be downright cruel.

-Team@CMHF

• A set of medical guidelines presented in 2005 clearly showed that there were ways to properly treat breast cancer which could in fact be successful while also reducing some of the pain, swelling and eventual numbness faced by breast cancer surgery patients.
• This is achieved by not unnecessarily removing lymph nodes under the armpit. Sounds reasonable.
• Studies show that this is more often done to elderly, poor, and Hispanic women.
• Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and is one of the leading causes of cancer death.
• For over 5 years now the American Society of Clinical Oncology has been encouraging doctors not to remove non-cancerous lymph nodes when performing mastectomies.
• It has even been stated that the removal of cancerous lymph nodes does not extend the life of the patient who is to undergo chemotherapy and radiation.
• Yet, it has been found that it is still happening and most often among the poor, elderly and Hispanic.
• Health care systems need to more rigorously examine the process of care and to intervene with corrective action where appropriate

For further reading log on to:  http://technorati.com/women/article/unnecessary-breast-cancer-surgery-higher-among/