Surgery

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Surgery can be an excision of the tumor with surrounding normal breast tissue (breast conservation) or removal of the whole breast (mastectomy). Clinical trials comparing mastectomy and breast conservation have shown that the two produce identical results.

If the lump is relatively small it is usually possible for the surgeon to remove it along with a small amount of surrounding normal tissue. This is called lumpectomy, wide local excision or breast-conserving surgery.

With a larger lump, this breast-conserving operation may not be possible because so much of the breast tissue would have been taken away that it would badly distort the breast.

Once the lump and surrounding tissue is removed it needs to be examined under the microscope. In some women, the surrounding tissue is abnormal and a further operation is necessary.