Geographic variation in postmastectomy breast reconstruction rates

Data on postmastectomy breast reconstructive surgery were examined for 52,3 57 female breast cancers that were treated with mastectomy and diagnosed in geographic areas covered by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance. Epidemiology, and End Results Program. The proportion of cancers that invol ved reconstruction varied in these geographic areas in each age group (unde r age 70 years) by a factor of about four or five, even after adjustment fo r stage at diagnosis, marital status, and poverty rate of county of residen ce at diagnosis. Studies ale needed to explain the large differences in rec onstruction rates by geographic area.