Mastectomy and Axillary lymphectomy in breast cancer

Mastectomy and Axillary lymphectomy in breast cancer -- Mastectomy is surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer. For those with early-stage breast cancer, mastectomy may be one treatment option. Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), in which only the tumor is removed from the breast, may be another option. Deciding between mastectomy and lumpectomy can be difficult. Both procedures are equally effective. But lumpectomy isn't an option for everyone with breast cancer, and others prefer to undergo a mastectomy. Newer mastectomy techniques can preserve breast skin and allow for a more natural breast appearance following the procedure. Surgery to restore shape to your breast — called breast reconstruction — may be done at the same time as your mastectomy or during a second operation at a later date. In addition to removing one or both breasts, mastectomy may also include removing lymph nodes in the armpit area to determine whether the cancer has spread. For an axillary node dissection, the surgeon removes a number of nodes from armpit on the side of the tumor. In a sentinel lymph node biopsy, surgeon removes only the first one or two nodes into which a tumor drains (sentinel nodes). These are then tested for cancer. If no cancer is present, no further lymph nodes need be removed. If cancer is present, surgeon will remove more lymph nodes in the armpit.