This study examines the temporal trends in and the factors associated with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy among men who received a diagnosis of unilateral invasive breast cancer.

Previous studies have reported marked increases in the rates of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) among US women who received a diagnosis of unilateral invasive breast cancer, and this increase is particularly evident among younger women. Rates of CPM among women vary depending on the population studied, although national statistics show that the percentage of women with unilateral invasive breast cancer undergoing a CPM increased from approximately 2.2% in 1998 to 11% in 2011. This increase has occurred despite the lack of evidence for a survival benefit from bilateral surgery, in addition to the complications and associated costs described in Lostumbo et al. Factors that are thought to contribute to the increase in the rate of CPM include increased testing for BRCA1/2 mutations, magnetic resonance imaging, and reconstruction surgery for symmetry, among others. However, whether the CPM rate is also increasing among US men is unknown. Herein, we used a nationwide population-based cancer database, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, to examine the temporal trends in and the factors associated with CPM among men who received a diagnosis of unilateral invasive breast cancer.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and may not represent the official positions of NAACCR.