More breast cancer patients opt for reconstructive surgery

More breast cancer patients are opting for reconstructive surgery, a new study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows.

However, whether or not a woman opts for the procedure has a lot to do with her environment, the researchers found.

"These data suggest that while a hearteningly increasing proportion of women are receiving breast reconstruction, it's not uniformly the case all across the country," study author Dr. Reshma Jagsi said in a statement.

The results show that between 1998 and 2007 there was an almost 20 percent increase - from 46 to 63 percent - in the number of reconstructive breast surgeries among women who had undergone a mastectomy. The average age of these women was 51.

Double mastectomies are sometimes done as a preventative measure if a woman is at high risk for breast cancer. The incidence of this procedure increased from 3 to 18 percent during the same time frame, and three-quarters of these women also got breast reconstruction.

Jagsi said the rising trend could be because women may have more access to information about their options, or because of the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 that says health insurers who offer mastectomy coverage must also provide for all stages of breast reconstruction.

Though, she does voice some concern about health disparities.

"One of the take-home messages from this study is that some women simply don't have the access to plastic and reconstructive surgeons who can offer them breast reconstruction. We want to make sure there is appropriate access to this treatment for women who choose to pursue it," she said.

Jagsi said that celebrities like Angelina Jolie talking about their own mastectomies sheds some positive light on women's options, but that these surgeries are not just about wanting to look good.

"This is not about vanity," she stressed. "It's about physical, mental and social well being - all of those dimensions. It can be critically important to our patients."