The Sex of Your Surgeon May Matter

Jan 30, NY Times

Whether a woman receives radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery may be influenced by the gender of her surgeon, according to a new report from The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The study, from researchers at Columbia University, set out to determine why breast cancer treatment still varies among similar patients. In particular, they looked at radiation treatment given to women after lumpectomy. The treatment is considered a standard of quality cancer care and has been shown to reduce breast cancer recurrence and mortality. However, many women still don’t receive it.

Earlier studies have suggested that demographic characteristics influence whether a woman receives postsurgical radiation. A patient’s race, age and how far she lives from a radiation therapy facility all are factors that affect her chance of receiving the treatment.

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photo: The gender of your surgeon may impact your treatment (Fred Conrad/The New York Times)