What is the difference between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy?
A lumpectomy, also called partial or segmental mastectomy or breast conservation surgery, involves removing only the cancer from the breast with a rim of healthy tissue surrounding it (called a margin). In most cases, lumpectomy is followed by radiation therapy to the remaining breast tissue. If you have a small breast cancer, or a cancer that is small when compared to the overall size of your breast, breast-conserving therapy (lumpectomy and radiation therapy) is as effective as mastectomy in its ability to treat cancer while preserving the breast. Mastectomy is removal of your entire breast, which includes the nipple, the areola and all the underlying breast tissue. It can be done with or without an immediate reconstruction. Most of the time, if you choose mastectomy, radiation is not required. However, if the tumor is large, or there is tumor in more than four lymph nodes, post-mastectomy radiation is recommended. Breast conservation treatment and mastectomy are equal to one another
