Breast
Breast-conserving surgery
Removal of a breast cancer together with a rim of surrounding normal tissue, keeping the rest of the breast. Also called a wide local excision or lumpectomy. It is almost always followed by radiotherapy.
Who it is for
- Cancer that is small relative to the size of the breast
- Cancer confined to one area rather than several separate areas
- Patients for whom radiotherapy afterwards is available and appropriate
What to expect
The aim is a clear margin: no cancer cells at the cut edge of the removed tissue.
Lymph nodes under the arm are usually assessed at the same operation.
The removed tissue is examined under a microscope afterwards. If the margin is not clear, further surgery may be recommended.
Recovery
Many people return to non-physical work within two to four weeks. Gentle shoulder exercises usually begin within a day or two and matter more than people expect.
Risks and possible complications
Every operation carries risk, and the list below is general rather than complete. Which of these matter for you depends on your health, your anatomy and what is being treated, which is what the consent conversation before surgery is for.
- Bleeding, wound infection, or a collection of fluid in the space left behind
- A change in breast size, shape or symmetry, which can be noticeable
- Involved margins on the pathology report, meaning a second operation to remove more tissue
- Numbness or altered sensation in the skin of the breast
- Radiotherapy is almost always needed afterwards, with its own effects on the skin and the tissue
No surgeon can promise a particular result, and nothing on this page should be read as one.
Still not sure whether it needs looking at?
Most breast changes turn out to be benign. Working out which ones are is what an assessment is for, and the guides here explain what that involves before you go.