An Overview of Mastectomy and Its Types in Treatment of Breast Cancer

Mastectomy is a method of treating breast cancer performed by surgically removing the breast and sometimes its adjacent tissues. In the past, radical mastectomy was the standard treatment for breast cancer, removing the entire breast, axillary lymph nodes, and some of chest muscles below the breast, but surgical advances over the last 2 decades have given women more options than ever before. Less invasive breast-conserving treatments are available to many women. There are different types of mastectomies to deal with different medical conditions. Mastectomy can treat different types of breast cancer. Women who do not have cancer, but are at very high risk for breast cancer for any reason, may also have a mastectomy. This procedure may also be used as a cancer prevention method in people who are prone to breast cancer. Preventive mastectomy will reduce the risk of cancer by 90%.