It involves surgery, radiation, or both. SSurgery involves removal of a part or whole of the cancerous breast and in most cases removal of lymph nodes in the axilla. The exact extent of breast removal depends on the extent of spread and the surgeon's choice. Sometimes it is possible to provide the patient with a few alternatives regarding the extent of breast removal. There are many terms used in connection with breast cancer surgery.
Mastectomy is a general term for removal of the breast.
A modified radical mastectomy involves removal of the breast and the axillary lymph nodes. A simple mastectomy removes the breast, but not the lymph nodes. Lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, and quadrentectomy refer to removing only a portion of the breast. An axillary dissection means removal of a portion of the lymph nodes under the arm. Radiation therapy is the use of special high energy x-ray beams to kill rapidly growing cells, such as cancer cells.