NEW YORK, Ny (CBS)-- Laura Lechtenberg was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, at the age of 43. The diagnosis left her shocked she couldn't believe it was happening.
Ten days later doctors removed the cancerous cells with a partial mastectomy. But for Laura that was just the beginning. "A week later I had to have a second reexcision and then a week later I had to have a third surgery," Laura says.
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds Laura's story is too common.
Nearly one in four women need additional surgery after a partial mastectomy. Lechtenberg's doctor says it's a problem the medical community is struggling to address.
"A lot of different techniques have been applied to try to reduce that percentage further with different technology, different imaging, ways of doing surgery. Nothing so far universally has been able to do that," says Dr. Catherine Dang breast surgeon with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In a partial mastectomy, doctors remove the cancer along with a margin of normal breast tissue surrounding it. But the study found there's no clear consensus on how large that margin should be. Dr. Freya Schnabel with NYU Langone Medical Center says at least a millimeter all around.
"Healthy tissue 360 degrees, around the cancer to feel that we have thoroughly and completely removed the site of disease."
If the tissue surgeons remove shows abnormal cells around the edge, additional surgery may be necessary. But the goal is to conserve as much of the breast as possible.
"If I could save my breast I would do anything to save my breast, Laura says.
Laura Lechtenberg knew the risk. Even after three surgeries, she says it was worth it.
The FDA is looking at a new device called a margin probe... to determine if the margins around the cancer are clean hopefully reducing future trips to the OR.