Limited surgery of the breast (also called a lumpectomy, tylectomy, breast-conserving surgery, and segmental excision of the breast, and wide excision of the breast) is the surgical removal of the tumor and a small region of the surrounding, normal breast tissue. In many lumpectomies, some of the lymph nodes under the arm also are removed.
In order to reduce the risk of recurrence (i.e., re-occurrence) of disease, many patients who undergo lumpectomy also receive radiation therapy after the surgery. |