Breast Reduction Q&A
95%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
Breast Reductionbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Breast Reduction Cost: $4,675

Learn about Breast Reduction

1,810 people and 560 doctors are talking about Breast Reduction

Get Free Email Updates

Does Having a Breast Reduction or Lift Increase Your Chances of Breast Cancer or Cysts?

asked 1 year ago by torrie1976 in Enterprise, AL
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 510 times
Tags: cancer, choices

does a breast reduction or lift increse a chance for breast cancer? there is no family history of cancer so far and i am in general healthy.

19 answers to Does Having a Breast Reduction or Lift Increase Your Chances of Breast Cancer or Cysts?

+1

Breast reduction and associated risk of breast cancer

Thank you for the question. There is no correlation between breast reduction surgery and an increased risk of breast cancer. In fact, there are studies suggestive that a breast reduction may reduce the risk of breast cancer. As mentioned by some of my colleagues, a volume reduction in breast tissue may explain why there is a hypothesized associated decreased risk of breast cancer due to less overall breast tissue. This is merely speculative, however.  In general, regular breast... more
+2

Breast Reduction Does NOT Increase Breast Cancer RIsk

Breast reduction surgery does not increase the risk of breast cancer or breast cysts. It may actually decrease it, although there are no studies to confirm this. From el Paso.
+2

Breast Recution

Having a breast reduction or breast lift does not increase your chance of breast cancer.  I am curious why you ask that question and who may be feeding you false information?
+1

Breast Surgery and Cancer?

Thank you for the question. There is no evidence that any type of breast surgery increases the risk of breast cancer. Best wishes.
+1

Does breast reduction increase the risk of developing breast cancer?

Undergoing a breast reduction does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, there are a few studies that reveal a lowered risk of developing breast cancer following a breast reduction and this was at a statistically significant level for women over the age of 40. Interestingly, some breast cancers that hadn't been picked up by screening measures such as mammograms, have been identified in the breast tissue removed during breast reduction. This obviously... more
+1

No increased risk of breast cancer after breast reduction surgery

There is no evidence that the risk of breast cancer goes up after breast reduction according to many studies that have been done to answer this questions. One report that grouped all the other studies showed a possible decrease in cancer risk. So as best we know, it is a safe procedure that has high patient satisfaction.
+1

Breast reduction/lift does not increase risk for cancer

Breast reduction or breast lift surgery does not increase your risk for breast cancer.   After your surgery, you should continue performing breast self-exams (BSE) and continue with your annual mammograms as per your ob/gyn or PCP.
+1

Breast reduction and lift and the risk of breast cancer or cyst formation

A breast reduction or lift will likely increase the chances of cysts due to inclusion cysts from de-epithelialization or from fat necrosis. Neither has been associated with an increased  risk of cancer. Furhtermore one European retrospective study has suggested a reduced risk of breast cancer in large breasted women who have undergone breast reduction.  
+1

Breast reduction

There is no increase risk of breast cancer from getting a breast reduction.  All breast tissue that is removed is routinely sent for pathologic analysis as a precautionary measure....the literature used to say 1 in 100 cases would find a breast cancer in the specimen, however most of us feel it is much more rare than that and I have never seen that.  If there specimen did in fact show cancer it would mean it was already present and actually it is important to know because the doctor more
+1

No risks

All the studies have proven breast reduction does not increase the risk of cancer but on the contrary it might decrease the risk because you are removing  tissue from the breast 
+1

Breast reduction may reduce your chance of breast cancer

When you have a breast reduction, a significant amount of breast tissue is removed. This means less tissue to get breast cancer in. It makes sense but it's hard to prove. I think we came closing to proving it in a paper we wrote and published a few years ago. It was a huge study.
+1

Breast surgery (including Augmentation, Lift or Reduction) does NOT increase cancer or cyst formation risks

Regarding: "Does Having a Breast Reduction or Lift Increase Your Chances of Breast Cancer or Cysts? does a breast reduction or lift increse a chance for breast cancer? there is no family history of cancer so far and i am in general healthy." Breast surgery (including Augmentation, Lift or Reduction) does NOT increase cancer or cyst formation risks in the least. Dr. Peter Aldea
+1

No increased risk of cancer after breast surgery

There is NO evidence that breast lift or reduction increases the risk of breast cancer. In fact, there is one study that suggests the risk may go down after breast reduction (less breast tissue means less tissue that can become cancerous). It is still very important to perform self breast exams every month and obtain mammograms on a regular basis (after age 40) following surgery to monitor for any changes.
+1

Does Having a Breast Reduction or Lift Increase Your Chances of Breast Cancer or Cysts?

NO! There is no scientific evidence of ANY relationship of Breast cancer to breast surgeries. But I recommend a pre operative mammogram. From MIAMI DR. Darryl J. Blinski
+1

No cancer risks from breast reduction or lift

Breast reduction and breast lift are not associated with an increased breast cancer risk. It is possible that a breast reduction could reduce cancer risk as the volume of breast tissue is significantly reduced, though there is no data which supplies proof. Both procedures will alter the baseline mammogram and a current mammogram is an important step before surgery if indicated by prior breast history, risk factors, or age. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd
+1

Breast Reduction and Cancer

There is no know increase in breast cancer risk following breast reduction. In fact, some literature actually supports the concept that breast cancer risk might be very slightly reduced after breast reduction--this is simply because there is less breast tissue after surgery that could possibly develop cancer. Keep in mind, however, that following breast reduction surgery, the appearance of your breast tissue on mammograms could be altered; this may increase your chances (slightly) of needing... more
+1

Breast reduction/lift and breast cancer

No data suggests that a breast reduction and or lift increases the risk of cancer.  If anything, it should be slightly lower because some of the breast tissue that could make a malignancy is removed permanently.
+1

Breast Surgery Does Not Increase Chance of Breast Cancer

There is no data that I am aware of which supports any causal relation of any plastic surgery of the breast to breast cancer.  This includes augmentations, reductions, and breast lifts.  In fact one could assume that a breast reduction would possibly make it easier to find a breast mass with self-exam should one develop for some reason.
+1

Breast cancer and breast reduction

No, there is no increased risk of getting breast cancer after a breast reduction or a lift. In fact, it probaly is less considering in a breast reduction you are removing some breast tissue.

Ask a question