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Paulina Młynarska decided to undergo a double prophylactic mastectomy. Her breasts were removed and then reconstructed. This was related to the discovery of morphological changes in the journalist, the presence of which indicates a high risk of developing malignant breast cancer in the future. According to Młynarska, such a solution allowed to reduce the risk of developing a malignant breast cancer by approx. 90% in her case.
- – In Poland, a huge number of women qualify for prophylactic mastectomy – between 100. and 300 thousand, because so many Polish women are carriers of the mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which cause breast and ovarian cancer – calculates prof. dr hab. n. med. Zoran Stojčev, Head of the Oncological Surgery Department of the Radom Cancer Center
- The youngest patient of Professor Stojcev, who decided to undergo such a procedure, was just over 20 years old
- Prof. Tadeusz Pieńkowski, president of the Polish Society for Breast Cancer Research, points out that mastectomy still does not give 100 percent. protection against breast cancer
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Paulina Młynarska underwent a prophylactic mastectomy
Preventive mastectomy is reimbursed by the National Health Fund from 2019. So a lot of time has passed since actress Angelina Jolie informed that she decided to remove and reconstruct her breasts to avoid breast cancer (Jolie is a carrier of the damaged BRCA1 gene). It was in 2013, and the reaction to her confession was a phenomenon called the “Angelina Jolie effect” – women crowded for preventive examinations, and some of them also decided to undergo prophylactic mastectomy.
12 years later, Paulina Młynarska made a similar confession and shared it with readers on Facebook.
– Without going into details, some time ago I discovered morphological changes, the presence of which indicates a high risk of developing malignant breast cancer in the future – writes Paulina Młynarska. – At this stage, I still had a choice. I could choose a “conservative” path, that is taking medications for many years and frequent checkups, or a “sharp cut” – surgical treatment with simultaneous plastic reconstruction. It was a very difficult process to consider this alternative. There are no absolute indications for prophylactic mastectomy. Relative indications include detection of BRCA1 and / or BRCA2 mutations, family history, and suspicious morphological changes. The decision is up to the person affected and it is up to him to weigh “for” and “against”. Neither pharmacological treatment nor surgery is a mild action without side effects. However, I emphasize: at this stage there is still a choice! I stood in front of him.
Młynarska also referred to the “Angelina Jolie effect” and the discussions triggered by the decision of the American actress. It was then said about the “whims” of the star.
– Today we know that the Angelina effect saved thousands of women. Fortunately, the world is changing. Preventive mastectomy is now a normal and reimbursed medical procedure in most civilized countries. In Poland From 2019. With such an indication as mine, deciding to undergo surgery, I reduced the risk of developing a malignant breast cancer by about 90%.
The journalist also appealed to her readers to perform diagnostics.
– I want to ask you something: make an appointment for your screening! Mammography, ultrasound, cytology or whatever else you need to monitor.
Prof. Pieńkowski on prophylactic mastectomy: “The risk does not drop to zero”
Prophylactic mastectomy is a woman’s choice – her own conscious decision, based on the knowledge of experts, but also on her own needs. In fact, removing the breast greatly minimizes the risk of developing the disease. However, it is still not 100%. certainty that cancer will not appear.
– The cancer risk decreases by about 98%, which means that after surgery, patients are “safer” than average Polish women – explained Prof. Tadeusz Pieńkowski, president of the Polish Breast Cancer Research Society. – The risk does not go to zero for two reasons, first, in some women in one of their breasts it is possible to find a small tumor that could not be detected before. Secondly, after the operation, small fragments of the gland may remain unremoved. The surgeon is unable to remove all of them, so there is a risk that the cancer will develop in the remains of the breast tissue.
- See also: Angelina Effect in Polish. «I know families that were dying out. More women waited for their turn »
The expert is also of the opinion that double mastectomy in the case when the carrier of the defective gene has already developed cancer does not guarantee that the patient will not fall ill again.
– Its prognosis depends on the prognostic factors related to the first cancer. Such a woman has a higher risk of developing secondary breast cancer, but if she stays in the monitoring system, it will be detected sooner. Mutation carriers diagnosed with cancer can be treated effectively with breast conserving treatment (BCT), i.e. tumor excision and radiotherapy. On the other hand, for psychological reasons, they often require a double mastectomy. In the United States, roughly two years ago, after Jolie’s declaration, many women wanted prophylactic mastectomies. This trend is often based on the belief that it will be safer this way, but it is not … After all, any surgery involves the risk of complications – adds prof. Pieńkowski.
Prof. Stojčev: “Only one in three women with breast cancer should lose a breast as a result of this disease”
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Zoran Stojčev, Head of the Oncological Surgery Department of the Radom Cancer Center. The professor has been performing breast-conserving surgeries for over 20 years. They involve only cutting out the tumor itself, rather than removing the entire breast.
– Only every third woman with breast cancer should lose a breast as a result of this disease, i.e. undergo mastectomy – believes prof. Stojcev.
When it comes to prophylactic mastectomy, as calculated by prof. Stojcev, in Poland, a huge number of women qualify for it – between 100 and 300 thousand, because so many Polish women are carriers of mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 geneswhich cause breast and ovarian cancer. However, few women are aware of this, because in our country such tests are not routinely performed. Carriers of such genes have 70 percent. the risk of developing malignant breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
- Editors recommend: Cancer doesn’t have to mean breast loss
Prophylactic mastectomy is most often chosen by women who go to oncological surgeons diagnosed with breast cancer. Then they perform genetic tests and decide on a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with simultaneous breast reconstruction. A large group are women with a family burden – if the mother or grandmother suffered from breast cancer, the daughter or granddaughter performs a genetic test and decides to have a prophylactic mastectomy.
The youngest patient of Professor Stojcev, who decided to undergo such a procedure, was just over 20 years old.
Also read:
- Polish women die of breast cancer. Money from the government is not helping
- WHO: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. Not lung cancer anymore
- Is it cancer already? These symptoms should be food for thought
- The five cancers from which Polish women die most often
- Tumors that kill fastest
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