Lumpectomy

Lumpectomy definition

A lumpectomy, also known as breast-conserving surgery, is a breast cancer procedure that involves the removal of a tumor, as well as a normal margin of healthy breast tissue around it. Compared to a mastectomy, which involves removing the entire breast, health care experts consider a lumpectomy to be a breast-conserving procedure. This is because it leaves the natural breast intact.

A lumpectomy is a surgical option to address early-stage breast cancer. It can also be done to rule out a certain cancer diagnosis. When a lumpectomy is used to remove cancer, radiation therapy to the breast is often followed to reduce the chance that the disease will recur.