Breast

Most women with breast cancer have some type of surgery as part of their treatment. There are different types of breast surgery, and they may be done for different reasons, depending on the situation. For example, surgery may be done to:

• Remove as much of the cancer as possible (breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy)
• Find out whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection)
• Restore the breast’s shape after the cancer is removed (breast reconstruction)
• Relieve symptoms of advanced cancer

Surgery to remove breast cancer

Breast-conserving surgery is surgery to remove the cancer as well as some surrounding normal tissue. Only the part of the breast containing the cancer is removed. How much breast is removed depends on where and how big the tumor is, as well as other factors. This surgery is also called a lumpectomy, quadrantectomy, partial mastectomy, or segmental mastectomy.

Mastectomy is a surgery in which the entire breast is removed, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes other nearby tissues. There are several different types of mastectomies. Some women may also have both breasts removed in a double mastectomy.