Breast Pathology and Cancer Diagnosis

Breast Pathology and Surgery

Mastectomy is the surgical removal of the entire breast. Some women have the option of mastectomy or lumpectomy (also called breast conserving surgery) plus radiation therapy. Other women can only have mastectomy. Some women have a very high risk of breast cancer due to an inherited gene mutation. These women may have one or both breasts removed to try to prevent breast cancer called ( prophylactic mastectomy).A woman at very high risk who has cancer in one breast may have her healthy breast removed to try to prevent breast cancer in the healthy breast (contralateral prophylactic mastectomy)A woman at increased risk who does not have breast cancer, may have both breasts removed to try to prevent breast cancer (bilateral prophylactic mastectomy).