Worry and lack of knowledge lead to removal of unaffected breast in cancer patients

Anxiety leads newly diagnosed women into considering the removal of the second unaffected breast, which may not be necessary, say experts.

More than half of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer consider removal of the second, unaffected breast to prevent cancer spread, and according to a new survey, they tend to have more anxiety and less knowledge about breast cancer than women who don’t consider contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM).