Types at Surgeries in Breast cancer

types of surgery for breast cancer

 

 

There are different types of surgery for breast cancer, which are described below:

Complete removal of the breast (mastectomy)

In this method, all the breast tissue, the nipple, the area around the nipple, the skin and the lymph nodes under the armpit are removed. Mastectomy is a suitable choice for patients with the following conditions:

• For those who are not possible to perform radiotherapy after limited removal of the malignant mass. Like; The unavailability of radiotherapy devices or related specialists, the patient being pregnant or the presence of some connective tissue diseases such as lupus.
• When several tumors are located in the same breast at a large distance.
• Women who themselves prefer to undergo mastectomy.

Breast preservation (lumpectomy)

When the cancerous tumor is small and limited to a small part of the breast, this type of operation can be performed. The aim of this method is to completely remove the tumor and preserve the rest of the breast as much as possible. In this method, some of the healthy tissue around the tumor is also removed so that the surgeon can make sure that all the cancer cells have been removed. Depending on the size of the tumor, up to a quarter of the breast may be removed. This surgical procedure almost always requires radiation therapy as a complementary treatment. Because radiation to the breast minimizes the chance of tumor recurrence.

Breast-conserving surgery is not recommended in the following cases:

• The presence of more than one breast tumor in distant places.
• The large size of the tumor or the small size of the breast, which causes the removal of the tumor with a healthy margin, to completely disrupt the shape of the breast and make it misshapen.
• The presence of cancer cells in the margin of the surgical specimen after 2 surgeries.
• The patient's unwillingness to do radiation therapy or the lack of necessary facilities to do radiation therapy after the operation.
• The patient's desire for complete breast removal.

It should be noted that performing breast-preserving surgeries depends on the patient's condition, the doctor's opinion and the patient's own opinion, and it is not recommended for all patients.

To get more information on nutrition, you can visit the Breast Diseases Clinic of Motamed Jihad Academic Research Institute or contact the numbers below.

Consultant contact number: 021-66404020 / 09124885127

References:

• A journey with breast cancer towards hope, Ahmed Kaviani et al
• Comprehensive guide to breast diseases, Mandana Ebrahimi et al

Compiled, written and translated by:

Dr. Ahmad Fazilat

Faculty member, Dept of Genetics, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR