Lack of screening 'leading to higher mastectomy rates'

Breast cancer sufferers in the west of Ireland face more than double the risk of having a mastectomy compared to women treated in Dublin, according to research published in the Irish Medical Times.

The study says a lack of free screening for the condition in western areas has led to a significantly higher proportion of mastectomies being carried out.

The lack of screening, it says, means the condition is likely to be at a more advanced stage among women in the west by the time treatment is sought.

This, in turn, means breast cancer sufferers in the west are more likely to undergo mastectomies, to experience post-operative problems and to need more aggressive follow-up treatments.