| s article we will look at the different types of breast | | | | conservative surgery. |
| surgery that you may be offered if you have breast | | | | In some cases a patient who has had breast surgery |
| cancer. | | | | for cancer may need to under go radiotherapy |
| However before any operation takes place the | | | | afterwards and this is particular true for those who |
| surgeon will talk to you and discuss with you the most | | | | have either a lumpectomy or Segmentectomy surgery. |
| appropriate type of surgery for your particular case of | | | | This lowers the risk of that patient having their cancer |
| breast cancer. | | | | returning as it will hopefully kill off the rest of cancer |
| It should also be remembered that no surgery will take | | | | cells if any left after the surgery has taken place. |
| place prior to you consenting to it. | | | | Whilst in other cases patients who have had a |
| Where breast surgery is concerned the type of | | | | mastectomy may find that they are having |
| surgery that will be performed depends on the size of | | | | radiotherapy to the lymph nodes above the collar bone |
| the cancer in your breast, whether it has spread to | | | | to make sure that all cancerous cells have been |
| any other parts of your body and also personal | | | | removed. Normally the surgeon will discuss what kind |
| preference. | | | | of treatment you will have with the radiotherapist once |
| However, if your cancer has already been diagnosed | | | | the results from the surgery are back. Unfortunately |
| then your surgeon will talk to you about the type of | | | | not radiotherapy treatment can be planned until after |
| surgery that you will need. Although there may be | | | | the operation has been carried out. |
| times when the surgeon can not make a decision on | | | | There are many reasons as to why a surgeon will |
| what type of surgery he carries out as they do not | | | | recommend a particular kind of breast surgery, but |
| have a definite diagnosis on the type of cancer that | | | | they will try their utmost to follow a patient's wishes. In |
| you have. Therefore they may need to carry out a | | | | some cases some women would like to keep their |
| small operation to remove some of the lump in order | | | | breast at all costs, whilst others may prefer to have a |
| to examine under a microscope before taking the rest | | | | mastectomy (because they feel that once the breast |
| out. | | | | is gone the cancer will be gone also) or it is because |
| The types of breast surgery that you may have are | | | | the do not wish to have radiotherapy. In fact a great |
| as follows: | | | | deal of research has been carried out and has proved |
| 1. Mastectomy - Removal of the whole breast. | | | | that there is no difference in the outcome whether a |
| 2. Lumpectomy or Wide Local Excision - Where only | | | | patient has a mastectomy or conservative surgery |
| the lump is removed from the breast.* | | | | with radiotherapy instead. In fact it has been found that |
| 3. Segmentectomy - This where just part of the | | | | both forms of treatment work equally well in treating |
| breast is removed.* | | | | breast cancer. |
| *These second two options are also known as | | | | |