What is Lumpectomy.
Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a tumor in the male or female breast, which could be benign or malignant – more commonly benign than malignant. Along with the breast tumor, some amount of surrounding normal breast tissue is also removed to ensure that no cancer is left behind and cause recurrence. Lumpectomy is therefore breast lump removal and it forms part of breast cancer treatment.
Lumpectomy.
Though breast lumpectomy is an invasive procedure, compared to mastectomy it is relatively less invasive, as the breast is preserved. It is therefore referred to as breast conservation surgery or breast preservation surgery. Technically speaking, lumpectomy is a partial mastectomy, as it involves removal of part of breast tissue. However, the amount of breast tissue that is removed varies from person to person.
After lumpectomy, the breast tumor is sent for breast biopsy to rule out cancer. This is its diagnostic benefit. Lumpectomy also becomes the treatment of choice in the early stages of breast cancer, where the cancer is restricted to the tumor only and has not invaded. However, patients who undergo lumpectomies are subjected to radiation treatment after lumpectomy to prevent recurrence.
Indications for Lumpectomy and follow up radiation.
- Excisional biopsy or open biopsy for breast cancer.
- Patient is medically fit to undergo surgery.
- As the surgery of choice in early stage of breast cancer where there is a single breast tumor which measures less than 5 cms across.
- A benign tumor in breast which requires removal.
Contraindications for Lumpectomy and follow up radiation.
- Presence of more than one tumor in the breast.
- Previous history of breast cancer and radiation in the same breast.
- Pregnancy.
- Spread of cancer throughout the breast, leaving insufficient normal breast tissue.
- A large tumor in small breast causing cosmetic complications.
- Connective tissue inflammatory disease like lupus or vasculitis which make the patient extremely sensitive to radiation side effects.
Risks of Lumpectomy.
General risks of surgery:
- Bleeding.
- Infection
- Reaction to drugs post surgery.
Specific risks of lumpectomy:
- Disfiguring of the breast,
- Difference in size of the breast.
- Scarring of the healed incision.
- Numbness over the operated breast.
- Phlebitis is inflammation of the vein in the arm of the same side.
- Lymphedema is swelling under the armpit of the same side. This happens in up to 10% of the lumpectomy cases where the axillary lymph nodes are also removed due to lymphatic spread of cancer.
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