For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good

August 29, 2018

(Kaiser Health News) – Surgery is a mainstay of breast cancer treatment, offering most women a good chance of cure. For frail nursing home residents, however, breast cancer surgery can harm their health and even hasten death, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Surgery. The results have led some experts to question why patients who are fragile and advanced in years are screened for breast cancer, let alone given aggressive treatment.