A STUDY by a North-East university has shown that hundreds of women may be having their breasts removed needlessly.

Tom Lennard, head of the surgery department at Newcastle University Medical School, led the research into women with cancerous tumours that initially go undetected.

Under normal practice, they are advised to have a mastectomy to increase their chances of survival.

But the study, published in academic journal The Breast, shows that the radical surgery is of negligible benefit. Mr Lennard found that removing just the tumour was equally effective.

On the basis of the research, Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary has changed its policy. Mr Lennard is advising other hospitals to do the same.

"Our research demonstrates that, statistically, having a mastectomy does not improve the chances of surviving breast cancer after a false negative scan," he said.

"We have reviewed the advice we give to patients, and I would have thought it sensible for specialists elsewhere to consider doing the same."

The study focused on women whose tumours were not picked up by the standard check. It is estimated that one-in-ten women with the disease produce false negative results, because their tumour is "mammographically invisible".

The findings coincided with the publication of an assessment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which ranked Newcastle among the country's top five universities for research.

A university spokesman said: "This is official recognition which may well lead to our medical school being asked to conduct even more research."