Lumpectomy Vs Mastectomy

Some women who have undergone radiation treatment for breast cancer surgery in Reading, PA who meet the appropriate criteria may be given the choice between a mastectomy and lumpectomy.  If a patient has only one site of cancer in the breast and the tumor is smaller than four centimeters, a lumpectomy is likely to be just as effective as a mastectomy, although it is important that clear margins must define the site.

For women who meet the criteria and are facing breast cancer surgery in Reading, PA, there are advantages and disadvantages to each procedure. Reconstruction of the breasts is available no matter which method is chosen for breast cancer surgery. Reading, PA surgeons may recommend a mastectomy for women who are at risk for cancer recurring. But if this is not a vital concern and a patient desires to keep her original breasts intact as much as possible, a lumpectomy can be just as effective.

The main advantage of a lumpectomy is that is does preserve the feel and texture of your original breasts, and is focused on merely extracting the cancerous cells from the tissues. It’s not as invasive as a mastectomy and it doesn’t as long to recover. It is true, however, that even though a lumpectomy can be a successful and advantageous breast cancer surgery, it does present a slightly higher risk for the recurrence of breast cancer. If this happens, the only option that remains is a mastectomy.

After a lumpectomy there is also additional radiation treatment to make sure that the cancer cells are gone, as well as further examination. If more around found in the remaining tissue, a further excision will need to occur. Prior to the mid-1980s, mastectomies were the only option, and women still seem to prefer this form of breast cancer surgery in Reading, PA to a lumpectomy. Many doctors trained before 1980 generally only recommend mastectomy breast cancer surgery, as well.

Some women consider a lumpectomy their first choice, and are willing to take the chances of the same cancer returning and having a mastectomy later (it is not possible to have a second lumpectomy due to the severe effects of radiation therapy on the tissues).  Other patients would rather not take the risk of having to go through further radiation treatments in the future, and elect to have a mastectomy and eliminate the risk. Certainly, a majority of women who have a lumpectomy do not have to have a mastectomy later, so calculating the risk really depends on one’s emotional and personal preference in making a difficult decision.