On the Benefits of Being Treated by a Breast Specialist
Breast surgery as a specialized practice
Terre D. Quinn McGlothin, M.D.
The American Journal of Surgery
August 2005, Vol. 190, Issue 2
http://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com
Abstract:
The interest in breast surgery as a specialized practice has expanded over the last decade as technology advances and medicine become more complex and specialized overall. There is evidence that breast cancers treated in high-volume centers and by specialists result in improved survival and that the demand for breast surgical oncologists will increase with the aging population.
In one of the first studies evaluating the effect of surgeon specialization on outcome after breast cancer surgery, researchers observed a 16% reduction in the 5-year risk of dying in patients treated by a breast specialist compared with a nonspecialist.