Mastectomy
Surgery to remove all or most of the breast tissue, usually to treat breast cancer.
Definition
Mastectomy is the surgical removal of all (or most) of the breast tissue, usually as treatment for breast cancer. Variants include simple (total) mastectomy — removal of breast tissue alone; modified radical mastectomy — also clearing the underarm lymph nodes; and skin- or nipple-sparing mastectomy, which preserves the skin envelope for immediate reconstruction.
Mastectomy may be recommended over breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy plus radiation) when the tumour is large relative to the breast, when there are multiple tumours, when radiation is not possible, or by patient preference. Adjuvant systemic therapy is often added based on tumour features.
See also
- Resection — Surgery to cut out a tumour, often together with a rim of surrounding normal tissue.
- Margin — The rim of normal-looking tissue around a tumour after it is surgically removed.
- Lymph Node — Small bean-shaped immune organs that filter lymph fluid and often show the first signs of cancer spread.
- Lymphedema — Swelling of a limb caused by build-up of lymph fluid after lymph nodes are removed or damaged.
- Adjuvant Therapy — Additional treatment given after surgery to lower the risk of cancer coming back.
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Medically reviewed by
Dr. Rehan Abdullah
Dr. Rehan Abdullah is a dual-trained clinical and radiation oncologist with over a decade of experience treating both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies. He serves as Consultant Oncologist at INMOL Hospital and sees patients at Farooq Hospital and Healthnox Medical Center, Lahore. Read full profile →
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