Breast surgery is used to remove breast tumours. Your doctor will look at the size of the breast lump and the stage of the cancer to determine which surgery to perform.
Breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy
Breast surgery can include breast-conserving surgery, which involves either lumpectomy (removal of the cancer and some surrounding tissue) or quadrantectomy (removal of one-quarter of the breast that contains the lump (quadrantectomy). In some instances, the surgery might involve mastectomy (removal of the whole breast). Some lymph nodes from the armpit may also be removed during surgery.
Women with early-stage cancers can usually choose between either a breast-conserving surgery or a mastectomy. It is very important that you know all the facts about these 2 procedures before you make your decision. Some advantages of breast-conserving surgery over mastectomy include:
- A woman keeps most of her breast in a breast-conserving surgery
- Mastectomy does not increase chances of long-term survival. Most women will still need radiation therapy after the surgery.
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, a less invasive surgical intervention, uses an instrument called a mammotome, which is a vacuum-assisted needle device that allows your surgeon to remove the entire breast lump or to take a biopsy (small tissue sample of the breast lump) for further diagnostic examination. This is a safe procedure that can be performed under local anaesthetic with minimal discomfort and without the need for you to stay at the hospital.
Radioisotope occult lesion localisation (ROLL)
Radioisotope occult lesion localisation (ROLL) technique allows non-palpable (too small to be felt by hand) tumours to be precisely located so that the entire tumour can be easily and reliably removed. Under image guidance, this technique places a radioisotope marker at the centre of the tumour. A manual gamma probe is then used to remove the tumour and any neighbouring cancerous tissues. Breast surgery using the ROLL technique is a more efficient surgical procedure.