Nearly all women with breast cancer will undergo some kind of surgery as part of their treatment and/or diagnosis. The extent of surgery for breast cancer may range from removal of only a small piece of breast tissue to removing one or both breasts, including underarm (axillary) lymph nodes. The purpose of surgery in the management of breast cancer is to:

• Obtain a tissue sample for determining an accurate diagnosis.
• Determine the stage of the cancer and whether additional treatment is necessary.
• Treat the cancer locally.

Surgery is local therapy that can remove cancer cells in or near the breast but cannot treat breast cancer cells that have spread to other locations in the body.  Cancer cells that have spread are called micrometastases and additional systemic treatment using chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy is required to treat these areas of cancer. The information obtained during surgery and from other tests determines the likelihood that the cancer has spread and whether additional systemic treatment is necessary. 

The surgical procedures utilized in the management of breast cancer include:

• Biopsy
• Lumpectomy
• Mastectomy
• Axillary lymph node evaluation
  • Axillary lymph node dissection
  • Sentinel lymph node biopsy
• Breast reconstruction
  • Breast implants
  • Autologous reconstruction of the breast