Benjamin D. Smith, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the higher complication rates and economic burdens of mastectomy plus reconstruction vs lumpectomy plus radiation in early breast cancer (Abstract S3-07).
Among the various guideline-concordant local therapy options available for women with early-stage breast cancer in the United States, mastectomy plus reconstruction had the highest complication rates and complication-related costs for both younger women with private insurance and older women on...