2020 PPP magazine

2020 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2020 Page 43 surgery in which only the part of the breast containing the cancer is removed. The goal is to remove the cancer as well as some surrounding normal tissue. How much breast is removed depends on where and how big the tumor is, as well as other factors. Mastectomy is a surgery in which the entire breast is removed, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes other nearby tissues. There are several different types of mastectomies. Some women may also get a double mastectomy, in which both breasts are removed. Choosing between breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy Many women with early-stage cancers can choose between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. The main advantage of BCS is that a woman keeps most of her breast. But in most cases she will also need radiation. Women who have mastectomy for early-stage cancers are less likely to need radiation. For some women, mastectomy may be a better option, because of the type of breast cancer, the large size of the tumor, previous treatment with radiation, or certain other factors. Some women might worry that having a less extensive surgery might raise their risk of the cancer coming back. But studies following thousands of women for more than 20 years show that when BCS is done with radiation, survival is the same as having a mastectomy in people who are candidates for both types of surgery. Surgery to remove nearby lymph nodes To find out if the breast cancer has spread to underarm (axillary) lymph nodes, one or more of these lymph nodes will be removed and looked at in the lab. This is an important part of figuring out the stage (extent) of the cancer. Lymph nodes may be removed either as part of the surgery to remove the breast cancer or as a separate operation. The two main types of surgery to remove lymph nodes are: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a procedure in which the surgeon removes only the lymph node(s) under the arm where the cancer would likely spread first. Removing only one or a few lymph nodes lowers the risk of side effects from the surgery, such as arm swelling that is also known as lymphedema. CONTINUE