Breast cancer and reduction mammoplasty: the role of routine pre-operative mammography

Occasionally breast cancer is accidentally discovered in specimens from patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty. We present the cases of two patients, both over 50 years of age. Because a reduction mammoplasty distorts the architecture of the breast, the post-operative discovering of a carcinoma renders mastectomy the only treatment option possible. We recommend the use of a pre-operative mammography for all women over 50 years of age who are scheduled for a breast reduction.