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Health: Breast Cancer

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Aug 20, 2008 6:00 pm US/Eastern

Health: Breast Cancer

Reporting
Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― 36-year-old Christina Applegate had a prophylactic double mastectomy three weeks ago. She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer, and had a lumpectomy. But hers was no ordinary case.

"I think she made the right decision to have a mastectomy in both breasts," said Dr. Julia Tchou, a breast surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

She says it's a decision a growing number of women are making when they test positive for genetic breast cancer.

"She had a genetic predisposition to get breast cancer because of the mutation in BRCA1, and there's a known risk of breast cancer in these women in either breast," said Dr. Tchou.

Applegate, the star of the ABC show "Samantha Who" has a family history, her mother had breast cancer. Because she was high risk, Applegate had an MRI, which found the early stage cancer. She said she chose prophylactic mastectomy so she wouldn't have to constantly worry about it coming back.

"It reduced the risk by 90 to 95 percent," said Dr. Tchou.

Applegate will have reconstructive surgery over the next eight months. It takes time to stretch the remaining skin. The reconstruction can be done using her own fat or with an implant.

"The results would be a natural looking breast," said Dr. Tchou.


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