Saint John’s Health Center offers a few types of breast cancer surgery as well as breast reconstruction for patients who desire it.

Lumpectomy / Breast Conservation Surgery

This operation saves as much of the breast as possible by removing only the tumor plus a surrounding area of normal tissue. This is only an option in combination with radiation therapy. It is an effective option for patients with Stage I or II breast cancers. In general, lumpectomy is almost always followed by radiation therapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells.  

Mastectomy

This surgery includes the removal of the whole breast and possibly some lymph nodes. Depending on the extent and type of the breast cancer, different lymph nodes may need to be removed. In many cases a mastectomy will mean that no radiation therapy is needed. 

Lymph Node Dissection

Through examining the lymph nodes a doctor has a better idea about the possible spread of the cancer throughout your body. If cancer is found in the lymph nodes it is an indication of an increased risk for cancer in other parts of your body. If the sentinel lymph node does show the presence of cancer, then the surgeon removes additional lymph nodes in the armpit.