About Mastectomy

A mastectomy is the removal of breast tissue due to the presence of a cancerous or precancerous growth. The amount of tissue removed during a mastectomy procedure varies. There are several types of mastectomies that can be performed. The type that is best for you depends on many factors, including the size and stage of the cancer, your particular anatomy and your preferences.

The most common mastectomy procedures are: the modified radical mastectomy, which entails removing the breast, its tissues, the nipple-areola and the lymph nodes found in the armpit. This procedure leaves the pectoralis major, the large muscle located on the chest wall, intact. The simple mastectomy involves the removal of only the breast tissue and sometimes the lymph nodes.

A lumpectomy is the most conservative surgical procedure. It calls for the removal of only the tumor itself and the surrounding margins, preserving the majority of the breast and its tissues.

Physician Roles: Who's involved with your treatment

During the course of your treatment for breast cancer, there will be several different physicians working together to plan your mastectomy and reconstruction procedure to give you the best possible result. They are:

• General Surgeon - Performs the biopsy of the breast tumor and mastectomy, or lumpectomy.
  
  
• Pathologist - Studies the tumor to determine the degree of malignancy
  
  
• Medical Oncologist - Administers anticancer drugs or chemotherapy
  
  
• Radiation Oncologist - Administers radiation therapy
  
  
• Plastic Surgeon - Performs breast reconstruction