Test Your Knowledge

A lumpectomy is a surgical procedure to remove abnormal and sometimes cancerous tissue from the breast. Some surrounding healthy tissue also is removed to increase the likelihood that all of the cancer is removed. Lumpectomy is considered a breast-conserving surgery because its goal is to remove the abnormal tissue while saving as much of the breast as possible.  In a lumpectomy, lymph nodes under the arm also need to be removed and examined in either a sentinel lymph node biopsy or an axillary lymph node dissection.

Because lumpectomies leave the breast mostly intact, they are often the preferred form of surgery when treating breast cancer. However, they are usually effective only in the early stages of breast cancer, and almost always are followed by 5 to 7 weeks of radiation therapy. In some cases, women also may need chemotherapy before or after a lumpectomy. Some  circumstances may preclude women from being good candidates for lumpectomies.

Lumpectomies are usually performed on an outpatient basis and do not require an overnight hospital stay. Recovery from lumpectomy is significantly easier than recovery from mastectomy and most women return to normal activities within a few weeks. Patients who have lumpectomies in the early stages of breast cancer have survival rates nearly identical to patients who have more radical surgery, such as a mastectomy. A number of factors must be considered when choosing between a lumpectomy and mastectomy. Consultation with physicians is the best way for patients to determine if lumpectomy is the appropriate treatment for them.