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Breast Lumpectomy
Lumpectomy involves removal of cancerous breast tissue and a surrounding area of normal tissue. Surgery is most often outpatient and most people get back to their normal routine in about one week.
Breast contouring can be performed at the same
time and most women find the cosmetic results acceptable. Lumpectomy
has been shown to be as effective as mastectomy when combined with
radiation therapy.
At the time of lumpectomy, the axillary lymph
nodes (the glands in the armpit) may be evaluated for the spread
of cancer and to “stage” the disease. This can be done by either removing the lymph nodes or by sentinel node biopsy. Staging the disease is critical to assess future prognosis and often dictates whether chemotherapy or hormonal therapy will benefit a patient.
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