Breast reconstruction surgery
Friday, 07 Mar 2008 10:03
Access to reconstruction surgery after mastectomy needs to be better, report says
Calls have been made to improve the delivery of reconstruction surgery after a report warned not all women with breast cancer are offered it at the time of their mastectomy.
The preliminary findings of the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit revealed that only one in ten women with breast cancer has access to reconstruction surgery at the time of their mastectomy.
This is despite recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) that the surgery should be available for all.
Reconstruction at the time of mastectomy is important as it reduces the number of operations needed and minimises the psychological impact of a mastectomy.
The audit also warned that local access to breast reconstruction services is not uniform across England and Wales.
And the report found that a fifth of English NHS trusts performing breast cancer surgery do not employ a consultant radiologist, pathologist or oncologist specialising in breast cancer diagnosis or treatment.
John Browne from the Royal College of Surgeons Clinical Effectiveness Unit said there has been "little improvement" in access to immediate reconstruction after mastectomy.
He added: "Current funding arrangements in the NHS, cancer waiting list targets and problems with the information and support provided to patients while making their decision about breast reconstruction may have contributed to this lack of progress."
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