What are the types of mastectomy?
Surgical advances in recent years now allow women to undergo less invasive options to treat their breast cancer. These are the different types of mastectomy you should know when weighing your treatment options:
Total or simple mastectomy
This type involves the removal of the breast, including the nipple, areola (colored ring around the nipple), and overlying skin. However, the lymph nodes and muscles under the breast are usually left in place.
This procedure is recommended to those whose cancer hasn’t yet spread beyond the breast, or as a preventative measure.
Partial mastectomy
Also known as a lumpectomy, this is one of the less invasive options available. This involves only the removal of the tumor, along with a margin of its surrounding tissue. The entire procedure takes up only an hour or two, and recovery time is short, at around one month..
Radical mastectomy
Unlike a simple mastectomy, this procedure removes the entire breast, including the lymph nodes, muscles under the breast, and overlying skin. This procedure is performed on those whose cancer cells have already spread through their chest muscles.
Modified radical mastectomy
This type of mastectomy also removes the breast, including the nipple, areola, breast tissue, and most of the lymph nodes under the arm. The only difference is that while the lining of the chest muscle is removed, the muscle itself is left in place.
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