Breast cancer surgery

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Breast Cancer Microchapters
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Overview

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for breast cancer.

Surgery

Surgery involves the physical removal of the tumor, typically along with some of the surrounding tissue and frequently sentinel node biopsy.

Standard surgeries include:

• Mastectomy: Removal of the whole breast.
• Quadrantectomy: Removal of one-quarter of the breast.
• Lumpectomy: Removal of a small part of the breast.

If the patient desires, then breast reconstruction surgery, a type of cosmetic surgery, may be performed to create an aesthetic appearance. In other cases, women use breast prostheses to simulate a breast under clothing or choose a flat chest.

• Breast-conserving surgery, a less radical cancer surgery than mastectomy