A JAMA Surgery report has revealed that the number of men option for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is increasing despite the fact that success rate of the procedure is still not as high.

Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, vice president of surveillance and health services research at the American Cancer Society, said, “The increase in the rate of this costly, serious procedure with no evidence of survival benefit [for men] comes, paradoxically.”

As per statistics available with North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, among the 6,332 men undergoing surgery between 2004 and 2011 for cancer in one breast, CPM rate increased significantly. The opting rate increased from 3 % in 2004 to 5.6 percent in 2011. The overall increase amounts to 86 %.

Experts said that even though more women have been opting for CPM than men, the rate is consistently rising among the men too.

Mastectomy is a procedure that takes into account an entire family history, genetics and a range of scan and tests including MRIs. It aims at removing the cancer cells and genes from the body by removing the entire breast.

Experts also informed that the incidence of breast cancer in men is very low overall. Only 1% men in the US are diagnosed with the disease per year.

The researchers also said that before the patients makes a final decision for mastectomy, all the pros and cons should be well conveyed by the treating doctor to him.