Research suggests mastectomy when breast cancer returns

Researchers say, if breast cancer comes back after a woman has already had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy is the beast treatment to increase survival rates.

Scientists reporting in the American Journal of Surgery say they were surprised to learn that so many women in their study had received another lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy.

They say the 5-year survival rate was 67 percent for women who had a lumpectomy compared with 78 percent for those who had a mastectomy.