• Cancer

    Mayo Clinic Minute: Should Women at High Risk of Cancer Have Surgery?

    By

    Vivien Williams

three generations of women 16 x 9

One in 8. Those are the odds that a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. However, those numbers are different for women who have hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Women who have the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at a significantly increased risk of getting the disease. In an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic researchers examined the management of women who have the genes, but who have not yet developed cancer. They looked at risks and benefits of preventive strategies such as mastectomy and ways to help women make decisions about their care. Reporter Vivien Williams has more.

Watch the Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast quality video of the Mayo Clinic Minute is available in the downloads. (TRT 1:10) Download the script. 

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