Surgery for Breast cancer

Surgery is usually the first line of treatment against breast cancer. Sometimes, chemotherapy or hormones are given before surgery to reduce the size of cancer or to reduce the risk of cancer coming back in the future.

Decisions about surgery depend on many factors. You and your doctor will determine the kind of surgery that’s most appropriate for you based on the stage and type of cancer and what is acceptable to you in terms of your long-term peace of mind.

Most common types of Breast cancer surgeries are:


Also known as breast-conserving surgery or wide local excision. It is the removal of only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue.


Removal of all of the breast tissue.

Sentinel lymph node dissection

Removal of first few lymph nodes that drain lymph from the breast. These nodes are identified using blue dye and a radioactive substance. Sentinel lymph node dissection is done during lumpectomy or mastectomy if there was no evidence of spread to lymph nodes before surgery.

Lymph node removal, or axillary lymph node dissection

Can take place during lumpectomy or mastectomy if the biopsy shows that breast cancer has spread outside the milk duct to any of the lymph nodes in your armpit.