Hi,
I understand the confusion about the advice which was excision whatever the results of the biopsy.
I think you’ll need to discuss the goals of the excision in both scenarios.
If you are dealing with cancer, the removal is the first step to cure. Hence, the gain would be improvement in
survival. While she is quite old compared to the usual breast cancer patient – if she is in excellent health,
there shouldn’t be a reason to forego curative options.
If it is not cancer, removing the mass would not extend survival. If however, there is pain – then excision
can offer pain relief. If the mass is harboring infection, the excision would control infection (and be
life-saving if the infection was severe). The point here, is that the intervention would be able to provide
some gain. What is critical would be to weigh this gain with the risks of the operative procedure.
