Breast Surgery

Most women who have breast cancer today are diagnosed at an early stage and can choose between a lumpectomy and radiation therapy or a mastectomy. A lumpectomy procedure attempts to totally remove the cancer while leaving the breast intact so that it appears largely unchanged after surgery. Women who have a lumpectomy almost always undergo radiation therapy to decrease the risk of cancer returning to the remaining breast tissue.

Other forms of surgery include mastectomies. A total mastectomy removes as much breast tissue as possible, but does not remove the lymph nodes in the armpit, whereas a modified radical mastectomy removes breast tissue as well as some lymph nodes in the armpit. A mastectomy may be needed when cancer is found in numerous areas in the breast or if the breast is small or shaped so that the removal of the entire cancer will leave little breast tissue; or, if the woman chooses not to undergo radiation therapy.

If or when breast cancer spreads (metastasizes) it usually enters the lymph nodes first. Lymph nodes are tiny organs found throughout the body that filter lymph fluid and trap bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. Your surgeon will determine if any lymph nodes will need to be removed, often during surgery. The two kinds of lymph node operations most commonly performed are called sentinel lymph node removal and axillary lymph node removal, and are distinguished by the surgical procedure required to remove them.

After a mastectomy, a woman may opt to have her breast reconstructed by a plastic surgeon or she may decide to wear a breast form (a prosthesis) that fits in her bra. She may also elect to do neither.

Click on one of the links to learn more about breat surgery.

Reading your Pathology Report- A Guide to the Breast Cancer Pathology Report. Download the pdf brochure to learn how to read and interpret a breast cancer pathology report.

General Information for Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, Sentinel Node Biopsy

About Reconstruction
http://www.mdanderson.org/Diseases/BreastCancer/reconstruction/


MEDLINEplus: Breast Reconstruction - The Well-Informed Patient's Guide to Breast
Reconstruction (English/Spanish)

Learn more about treatment options:

Chemotherapy

Radiation Therapy

Hormone & Other Treatment Methods

Clinical Trials