- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
Could Science Help Women Regrow Breasts After Mastectomy?
Scientists in Australia are hoping it can as they research an incredible new procedure that may facilitate breast redevelopment after a mastectomy. If the procedure is proven successful, it could replace breast reconstruction with implants.
The procedure is said to stimulate regenerative growth of breast tissue, and trials are set to begin – with real human patients – in less than 6 months.
How it Works
A biodegradable chamber is placed within the chest, containing stem cells obtained from the patient’s own fatty tissue. As the cells divide and grow, the natural fat of the breast is recreated.
Phillip Marzella from the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery, told ABC radio that the trials were “a proof of principle trial with about five to six women just to demonstrate that the body can re-grow its own fat supply in the breast.”
It may take several years to fully develop this procedure, but scientists are optimistic about its potential to replace the current procedures in breast reconstruction, which use saline or silicone breast implants to recreate the breast after mastectomy. The science of breast reconstruction seems to be progressing rapidly in recent years, causing some writers to say we are “winning the war on breast cancer.”