ASBS 2010: Economy, Rise in Mastectomies Temper Minimally Invasive Advancements in Breast Care

Executive Summary

Surgeons attending the 11th annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons were perplexed by the reversal of the trend away from mastectomy and toward breast-conserving therapies. Advanced breast-conserving products were presented at the meeting; but with lowered revenue expectations that can ultimately be attributed to the economic woes of the past couple of years. High unemployment and the lack of health care coverage have prompted many women to delay or forego their yearly mammogram, and as a result, the numbers of biopsies, surgeries, and radiation therapy procedures have declined as well.