A patient may have just one form of treatment or a combination. Different forms of treatment may be given at the same time or one after another. Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Several types of surgery may be used. The doctor can explain each of them in detail, discuss and compare the benefits and risks of each type, and describe how each will affect the patient's appearance.
Breast reconstruction is often an option at the same time as the mastectomy, or later on.
They usually are followed by radiation therapy to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the area. In most cases, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes under the arm to help determine whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system . In lumpectomy , the surgeon removes the breast cancer and some normal tissue around it. Often, some of the lymph nodes under the arm are removed. In segmental mastectomy , the surgeon removes the cancer and a larger area of normal breast tissue around it.