Mastecomy

Mastecomy - A form of breast cancer surgery which involves surgical removal of all or portions of the breast, and sometimes other tissue. The goal of a mastectomy is to remove cancerous tissue before it can spread to other areas of the body. In a partial (segmental) mastectomy, the part of the breast that has cancer, and some normal tissue around it, is removed. In a total (simple) mastectomy, only the whole breast is removed. In a modified radical mastectomy, the whole breast is removed, along with some lymph nodes under the arm. In a radical mastectomy, the whole breast, all lymph nodes under the arm, and chest wall muscles under the breast (where cancerous cells have spread) are removed.

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