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Breasts Can Shrink Following Cancer Surgery, Radiation

On March 27, 2025, researchers reported in the journal *Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery* that women's breasts can shrink considerably after radiation therapy and lumpectomy for early-stage breast cancer, as reported by HealthDay News on March 31, 2025.
Many women with early-stage breast cancers prefer lumpectomy and radiation therapy as breast-conserving treatment offers similar survival rates to mastectomy while preserving the breast, but radiation therapy is known to have side effects like scarring and shrinkage.
A study between 2005 and 2023 involving 113 women who underwent breast-conserving treatment showed that breast volume initially decreased by an average of 9% after tumor removal.
Researchers found that after one year, the average decline in breast volume was 19%, and after five years, the average decrease in breast size was more than 26%, with women with larger breasts and smaller tumors experiencing shrinkage approaching 30% on average.
Dr. Chris Reid, assistant professor of surgery at the University of California-San Diego, stated that anticipating these changes may help guide patient expectations and assist surgeons in planning reconstructive procedures to attain symmetry posttreatment, as the greater loss in size among women with larger breasts raises concerns about breast asymmetry.

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The Laconia Daily Sun

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Breasts Can Shrink Following Cancer Surgery, Radiation

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Plastic Surgery Practice

Breast-Conserving Therapy Linked to Breast Shrinkage

Patients undergoing lumpectomy with radiation experienced an average 26% volume loss over five years. For women with early-stage breast cancer, breast-conserving therapy (BCT), including radiation therapy (RT), leads to progressive reduction in breast size over time, reports a study in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “Our findings suggest that women…

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