Women with early stage breast cancer may have a better chance of survival if they undergo a lumpectomy and radiation, rather than a mastectomy, a new study suggests.

According to US scientists, a lumpectomy along with radiation is a good treatment option for women with early breast cancer. However over the last decade, an increasing number of women have been opting for mastectomies, even if the cancer is very small.

The scientists from the Duke Cancer Institute in North Carolina said that there is a perception among some women that a mastectomy may lead to a better outcome. As a result, they decided to investigate this further.

They analysed data relating to all women in California who had been diagnosed with stage one or stage two breast cancer between 1990 and 2004 and who had been treated either with a lumpectomy and radiation or a mastectomy.

The analysis included over 112,000 cases of the disease.

The study found that in the first three years after surgery, those who underwent a mastectomy were more likely to die of heart disease and other diseases, compared to women who underwent a lumpectomy. The scientists said that this may simply be because the lumpectomy group was healthier overall.

However, over the whole study period, those who underwent a lumpectomy and had radiation were more likely to survive breast cancer compared to those who had a mastectomy.

This was true irrespective of the women's age or cancer type.

The biggest benefit was seen in those over the age of 50 with hormone sensitive breast cancer. Their risk of dying was 14% lower if they had a lumpectomy and radiation rather than a mastectomy.

"The findings in this study should reassure women that among all age groups and tumour types, lumpectomy continues to be an excellent choice for women with small early breast cancers," the scientists said.

Details of these findings are published in the international journal, Cancer.