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AirTalk

The conversation on reconstruction after a mastectomy

By AirTalk Staff
Published Jan 2, 2018
Iranian breast cancer patient Farvah shares a moment with her fiance Saleh on her way to the operation room before her mastectomy operation to remove a breast which was turned to a lumpectomy during the procedure as the pathology results were good meaning she could keep her breast at a clinic in Tehran on October 14, 2013. According to Iranian cancer research, breast cancer is the most common form of the illness suffered by Iranian women with roughly more than 7000 new cases per year with widespread pollution in big cities being blamed for the soaring cancer statistics, while import of medicine is still difficult as Iran is affected by Western economic sanctions due to the country's controversial nuclear program. Farvah, a 30-years-old copywriter and editor from Tehran fought her breast cancer since she acknowledged the disease in July 2013 and went through cancer treatments of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a lumpectomy operation to overcome the cancer in December. Farvah wrote on her Facebook wall on October 2013: "I was afraid. I did not know when it is done, what will become of my body's shape. Right before surgery, and after signing the consent form, sitting on the bed next to the elevator, the thought of escaping rushed through my mind. I really wanted to jump off the bed and run towards a place no one could find me." AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI == IRAN OUT == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE == (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)
Iranian breast cancer patient Farvah shares a moment with her fiance Saleh on her way to the operation room before her mastectomy operation to remove a breast which was turned to a lumpectomy during the procedure as the pathology results were good meaning she could keep her breast at a clinic in Tehran on October 14, 2013.
(
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images
)
Listen 22:57
The conversation on reconstruction after a mastectomy

The battle against breast cancer is long and difficult, and one of the many issues women have to grapple with is whether to have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy.

In a recent Los Angeles Times op-ed, an internal medicine doctor wrote about the decision-making process of one of his patients who ultimately decided not to get reconstructive surgery after having both breasts removed, despite implicit encouragement from her oncologist. 

The decision is loaded and highly personal, and the factors women consider can encompass identity, societal beauty standards, spousal expectations and the willingness to undergo further surgery and recovery. 

AirTalk opens up the phones to talk to women and their families about the decision on whether to undergo reconstructive breast surgery. 

Call us at 866-893-5722. 

Guest:

Maggie DiNome, M.D., Chief of Breast Surgery at UCLA; she’s a surgical breast specialist who focuses her practice on the surgical care of patients with benign and malignant breast disease