Breast Cancer Surgery

A biopsy is a procedure used to remove part of the tumor to obtain a sample for testing. A biopsy is the most important procedure in diagnosing cancer. Most biopsies are performed using ultrasound guidance, but stereotactic and MRI guidance can also be used.

Breast cancer is often caught at earlier stages so the lesions are typically small and harder to locate during surgery. Breast localization is done before surgery to help guide surgeons. During the procedure, a radiologist will implant a very thin wire or small clip within the breast under ultrasound or mammogram guidance. The wire or clip will later guide your surgeon to the abnormality. Both techniques (wire or clip) help your surgeon remove the tissue precisely.

A lumpectomy is a surgery to remove a mass in your breast. A lumpectomy is sometimes referred to as a partial mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery.

A mastectomy is surgery to remove the breast. A mastectomy is done to treat breast cancer and prevent cancer from spreading. A mastectomy can also be done to prevent breast cancer. This may be a choice if you are at high risk for breast cancer. The type of mastectomy you need may depend on the size of the tumor or if your cancer has spread.

If you have a mastectomy, you may want to have your breast rebuilt. This is called breast reconstruction. It is not done to treat cancer but can be done in combination with your mastectomy to make a breast shape that looks a lot like your natural breast.

There are two main techniques for reconstructing your breast:

• Implant reconstruction: Inserting an implant that’s filled with salt water (saline), silicone gel, or a combination of the two.
• Autologous or “flap” reconstruction: Using tissue transplanted from another part of your body (such as your belly, thigh, or back). Autologous reconstruction also may include an implant.

You also can choose whether to reconstruct your nipple. In some cases, nipple-sparing mastectomy is possible, which means that your own nipple and the surrounding breast skin are preserved.

If you plan to have a mastectomy and are thinking about having reconstruction, you should talk to a plastic surgeon before the mastectomy is done. Your breast can be rebuilt at the same time as the mastectomy or at a later date.

In this Health Works Here podcast, Dr. Joanna Ng-Glazier talks about different breast reconstruction options after undergoing breast cancer surgery and treatment.

An implanted device, also known as a “port”, is used to give medications like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It can also be used to draw blood. The port is a small container that is placed under your skin, usually in your upper chest just below the collar bone. The port is attached to a catheter that enters the large vein entering your heart.