Breast procedures

Abstract

Prior to discussing partial mastectomy (lumpectomy), mastectomy (simple or total), modified radical mastectomy, and axillary operations, a brief review of the indications is necessary. Although no atlas can begin to cover the subtleties of breast cancer treatment, a few basic principles apply. Treatment of breast cancer should be viewed from a local (tumor), regional (axilla), and systemic approach. Thus a modified radical mastectomy is the summation of a total mastectomy with an axillary dissection (local + regional treatment). Simply put, each breast operation for invasive cancer will require a breast operation and an axillary operation. In situ cancer will require only a breast operation with one caveat (in the setting of extensive DCIS or suspicion for invasive cancer, if mastectomy is selected a sentinel lymph node biopsy should be considered). Up to 20% of high-grade DCIS lesions or large lesions (>4 cm) will harbor invasive carcinoma © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2010.