Candidates For Breast Conserving Surgery
Breast conserving surgery balances the need to remove all of the cancer while preserving a normal-looking breast. More extensive tissue removal can be cosmetically repaired. However it may not be possible to save the breast should the tumor involvement or location require so much tissue removal that a mastectomy would be the best option.
If you are a great candidate for this surgical option, our surgeons perform the best breast conserving surgery Beverly Hills has available.
In early stage breast cancer, where the tumor is small, breast conserving surgery has the same survival rate as a full mastectomy when radiation is added to the treatment. Breast cancer radiation therapy may be started as soon as the incision is healed, which is usually 2 weeks post surgery.
Breast conserving surgery is not an option for all women. It is not recommended for women who have had radiation therapy to the same breast or for women who have 2 or more areas of cancer in the same breast which cannot be removed through a single incision.
Women with certain diseases who are particularly sensitive to radiation would not be good candidates for breast conserving surgery. Pregnant women cannot undergo radiation without risking harm to the fetus and therefore are not candidates for breast conserving surgery.
Visit ncbi.nlm.nih.gov to learn more about breast conserving surgery.
Breast Conserving Surgery Procedure in Beverly Hills
The patient featured in this video had infiltrating ductal carcinoma, grade II of the right breast. Mastectomy surgeon Dr. Heather Richardson, of the Bedford Breast Center removed the cancer with a lumpectomy.
Dr. Lisa Cassileth performed a simultaneous breast reduction surgery. The removal of the tumor is aided by an intraoperative ultrasound which shows the extent of the cancer so that it can be removed accurately, leaving behind healthy tissues that are then re-configured into a more youthful, perkier breast shape.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy technique is also featured with an excellent example of how dye is used to draw attention to blue stained lymph nodes that are removed via the breast incision to investigate spread of cancer cells outside the breast.
Breast Conserving Surgery Before And After
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All surgery options should be discussed with your breast surgeon once the cancer has been staged. Breast conserving surgery with radiation is an option for most women with stage I or II breast cancer.
A lumpectomy can be done under a local anesthetic unless lymph nodes are also being removed. Most patients who undergo a lumpectomy can go home the same day. More extensive tissue removal will require a general anesthetic.
Mastectomy is not the only option in many cases, which is a great relief to some patients. Others may wish to remove the affected breast due to a fear of the cancer returning or being uncomfortable with the idea of radiation.
While the survival rate is the same whether a mastectomy or a lumpectomy with radiation is done, the option to make a choice is now possible.
The Bedford Breast Center offers unrivaled care and guidance for women considering their options, with among the finest results in breast conserving surgery Beverly Hills has to offer.
We encourage you to make full use of the comprehensive resources we offer so you are confident in your decisions for your breast cancer treatment.
– Bedford Breast Center
Leslie F. Memsic, MD, FACS
