No person wants to undergo surgery. Luckily, breast cancer surgery that is performed today is targeted than it has been in the past. Individuals today do not experience as much scarring and are able to quickly recover while also receiving treatment that is effective enough to lower the odds of recurrence.
Tools used to diagnose cancer are now more precise because the disease is understood on a greater level. Normal methods still largely apply, but they aren’t automatically used. Each case of cancer is different and analyzed differently. Breast cancer patients now have choices and are able to become active participants in the decision making process regarding their surgery.
A common surgery option is a lumpectomy. Just as it sounds a lumpectomy is a surgery in which the clump causing the cancer is removed. There are a large range of choices when getting a lumpectomy. The amount of tissues that are removed from around the clump vary. Surgeons typically make the decision regarding how much of a reduction is needed to reduce the chances of recurring cancer.
Depending on the size and location, and how long the tumor has been developing, one or more lymph nodes might be removed during a lumpectomy. The lymph nodes are oval, bean-sized glands that are part of a connected system that runs throughout the body. They play a major role in the immune system, fighting bacteria and the invasion of foreign bodies.
Once a cancer reaches a lymph node it can easily and rapidly spread through the body by means of the vessels connecting all the lymph nodes. When or if that happens, the cancer becomes much more difficult to treat. Often chemotherapy or radiation treatment is called for at this stage.
To reduce the chances of this occurring, surgeons usually remove one or more of the lymph nodes that are located close to a cancerous tumor. Lab tests are then conducted to check to see if the cancer has spread. Again each case is different and the options and actions should be discussed with the medical team involved.
Like other cancer types breast cancer also develops in different stages. The stages are determined by size and tumor type, and also tumor location. When breast cancer reaches a point that it is necessary surgery beyond a lumpectomy might be required. The patient and the doctor could determine that a partial or segmental mastectomy is needed.
In that procedure more breast tissue is removed than in a simple lumpectomy. In many cases radiation therapy may be part of the follow up treatment regimen, often extending for six or eight weeks. The goal is to ensure that all the cancer was removed, or that any remaining malignant tissue the surgeon was unable to get is destroyed by the radiation.
In situation that are more extreme (which aren’t as frequent today) a mastectomy could be performed. In this case most or all of the breast is removed. When the procedure doesn’t require lymph nodes to be removed the procedure is called either a total or simple mastectomy. When it is necessary to remove all of the breast tissue and also the nipple and lymph nodes in the armpit the surgery is typically called a radical mastectomy.
When a surgeon has to remove the chest wall muscles the procedure is then called a radical mastectomy. This action is very extreme and is not typically used today. When it is required prosthetics and reconstructive surgery can often be used to completely restore an individual’s appearance.
An individual’s stay in the hospital varies depending on the type of treatment they must undergo. These treatments can vary from outpatient surgery where the individual is released the same day to a week for procedures that are more intense. You should explore and research all of the options available to you carefully. You should ask questions and not be put off by a physician’s busy schedule. You must find a physician that is willing to answer all of your questions in detail in layman’s terms. This is the first step toward getting proper treatment.