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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Lumpectomy (lum-PEK-tuh-me) is surgery to remove cancer or other abnormal tissue from your breast. Lumpectomy is also called breast-conserving or breast-sparing surgery because — unlike a mastectomy — only a portion of the breast is removed. Doctors may also refer to lumpectomy as a wide local excision. During lumpectomy, a small amount of normal tissue around the lump (clean margins) also is taken to help ensure that all the cancer or other abnormal tissue is removed.
Lumpectomy helps confirm a diagnosis of cancer or rule it out. Lumpectomy is also a first treatment option for some women with early-stage breast cancer. In cases where cancer is found, lumpectomy usually is followed by radiation therapy to reduce the chances of cancer returning.
- Breast cancer treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional/AllPages. Accessed Aug. 18, 2011.
- Iglehart JD, et al. Diseases of the breast. In: Townsend CM Jr, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1565/0.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2011.
- Surgery for breast cancer. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/DetailedGuide/breast-cancer-treating-surgery. Accessed Aug. 18, 2011.
- Pruthi S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 16, 2011.
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