Breast surgery is recommended as a treatment for cancer based on the stage of the patient's cancer, the type of cancer, and the patient's personal decision to have the surgery.

Today, surgery for breast cancer precisely targets the tumor, aiming to preserve as much of the healthy breast and surrounding areas as possible. Even mastectomy is a more refined, less drastic option than it was a generation ago.

There are essentially two main types of breast surgery:

• breast-conserving surgery, also known as lumpectomy, removes the tumor from the breast. This is usually followed by radiation therapy to the remaining breast tissue.
• mastectomy is an operation in which the whole breast is removed. Sometimes radiation is given after mastectomy.

Both breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy may be accompanied by axillary lymph node dissection if a patient has invasive cancer, along with treatments such as hormonal therapy and/or chemotherapy.

Sentinel lymph node dissection is an alternative to traditional lymph node dissection for early-stage breast cancer patients.