Understanding lumpectomy
Breast-conserving surgery
The short version
A lumpectomy removes the tumor along with a margin of surrounding tissue, preserving most of the breast. It is often followed by radiation therapy to reduce the chance of the cancer returning in that area.
A lumpectomy, also called breast-conserving surgery, removes the tumor and a margin of surrounding tissue while leaving most of the breast intact. For many early-stage cancers, studies have found outcomes are comparable to mastectomy when combined with radiation.
A lumpectomy is often followed by several weeks of radiation therapy to reduce the chance of the cancer returning in the treated breast — ask your care team whether that applies to your plan.
- Usually an outpatient or short-stay procedure
- Recovery is often shorter than mastectomy, though this varies by person
- Margins are checked afterward to confirm no cancer cells were left at the edge — this is described in your pathology report
Questions you may want to ask
Am I a candidate for a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy?
Will radiation be part of my plan afterward?
What will recovery look like, and when can I resume normal activities?