What are my surgical options for breast cancer?
Your surgeon might discuss different surgical options with you. Doctors have found that different types of surgery can work equally well, depending on the situation.
Mastectomy
The entire breast is removed, and often reconstructed, either at the time of surgery, or later. After a mastectomy, sometimes radiation therapy to the chest wall is recommended, but many times it is not necessary.
Lumpectomy
The surgeon removes the cancerous area with a margin of normal tissue. After a lumpectomy, whole breast irradiation is usually offered.
With either procedure, a sampling of lymph nodes is usually taken (sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure) to see if cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes.
When faced with breast cancer, there are many difficult decisions to make. It is often helpful to gather more information about the disease as well as to talk to members of your healthcare team.
The Taussig Cancer Center provides a Patient Cancer Resource Center, with a “Cancer Answer Line” answered by a nurse. The number is 216.444.9723, or 1.866.223.8100.