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Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. There are several types of surgery. The doctor can explain each type, discuss and compare the benefits and risks, and describe how each will affect the woman's appearance:
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Breast-sparing surgery: An operation to remove the cancer but not the breast is called breast-sparing surgery, breast-conserving surgery, lumpectomy, segmental mastectomy, or partial mastectomy.
Through a separate incision, the surgeon often removes the underarm lymph nodes to learn whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system. The procedure to remove the underarm lymph nodes is called an axillary lymph node dissection.
After breast-sparing surgery, most women receive radiation therapy to the breast to destroy cancer cells that may remain in the breast.
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Mastectomy: An operation to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible) is a mastectomy. In most cases, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes under the arm. After surgery, the woman may receive radiation therapy.
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