Surgery

Oncoplastic surgery combines plastic surgery techniques with breast cancer resection techniques. When a large lumpectomy is required that will leave the breast distorted, the remaining tissue is sculpted to realign the nipple and areola and restore a natural appearance to the breast shape.

Breast cancer surgery is always accompanied by an examination of one or more of the lymph nodes in the armpit, sometimes referred to as the axilla. If cancer spreads from the breast, it travels to these “sentinel” lymph nodes first.

Partial mastectomy (sometimes called lumpectomy) is a breast-conserving operation in which the surgeon removes the tumour together with some of the healthy breast tissue surrounding it.

A mastectomy is an operation that removes the entire breast, and is the treatment of choice for larger tumours or multiple tumours. It is also needed for women in whom it is not safe to have a partial mastectomy, because there is extensive cancer.