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

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?

All surgical procedures carry some degree of risk. Any breast
operation can result in changes in sensation. This happens less with lifts than
reductions but is still possible Occasionally, minor complications occur and do
not affect the surgical outcome. Major complications associated with this
procedure are rare. The suitability of the breast lift procedure and specific
risks may be determined during your consultation.

Although these risks and some risks of scarring exist, there is no real increased risk of breast cysts or cancer from the breast lift (mastopexy) alone. Best of luck to you!

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.  

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 would end up having to do more surgery.  I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

James F. Boynton, M.D., F.A.C.S.

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.

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.