Breasts Can Shrink Following Cancer Surgery, Radiation

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 31, 2025.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 31, 2025 -- Breast-conserving therapy for breast cancer might not conserve as much as previously thought, a new study suggests.

Women’s breasts can shrink considerably after they’ve undergone radiation therapy and lumpectomy for their early-stage breast cancer, researchers reported March 27 in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

"Our findings suggest that women undergoing (breast conserving therapy with radiation therapy) may lose approximately 20% of breast volume within a year, with continued reductions through five years," senior researcher Dr. Chris Reid, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of California-San Diego, said in a news release.

"Anticipating these changes may help guide patient expectations and assist surgical planning to restore women after breast cancer treatment,” he added.

Many women with early-stage breast cancers prefer lumpectomy and radiation therapy for their treatment, researchers said. It offers survival rates similar to those of mastectomy, while preserving the breast.

But radiation therapy is known to have side effects on breast tissue, including scarring and shrinkage, researchers noted.

To see whether this winds up being noticeable, researchers measured changes in breast volume among 113 women who underwent breast-conserving treatment for early-stage breast cancer between 2005 and 2023.

The women’s breast volume initially decreased by an average of 9% after the tumor was removed, researchers found.

After a year, the average decline in breast volume was 19%, results show, in addition to the tissue removed at surgery. By five years, the average decrease in breast size was more than 26%.

Women with larger breasts and relatively smaller tumors — measuring less than 10% of their breast volume — wound up with greater shrinkage, approaching 30% on average compared to nearly 22% for women with smaller breasts.

The greater loss in size among women with larger breasts raises concerns about breast asymmetry, a common concern after breast-conserving treatment, Reid said.

"Anticipating these changes may help guide patient expectations and assist surgeons in planning reconstructive procedures to attain symmetry posttreatment," Reid said.

Researchers said future research should look into how different cancer treatments affect breast size.

Sources

  • Wolters Kluwer Health, news release, March 27, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-04-01 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords