If the breast cancer is determined to be localized and has not spread beyond a certain area, breast conserving surgery may be used to remove the tumor and leave the rest of the breast intact. This surgery may be referred to as a Lumpectomy. This is combined with other therapies, like chemotherapy, to fully treat the breast cancer.

Mastectomy is the surgical removal of a breast to treat breast cancer. There are different types of mastectomies, and the choice of which to perform depends on the stage of cancer, size of the tumor, size of the breast, and whether the lymph nodes are involved. 

A double mastectomy is an operation that removes both breasts as a treatment for or to prevent breast cancer. Some patients at very high risk of breast cancer, usually as determined by genetic testing and family history, may have double mastectomies to reduce their breast-cancer risk. There are different types of mastectomies, and the choice of which to perform depends on the stage of cancer, size of the tumor, size of the breast, and whether the lymph nodes are involved. 

After a mastectomy or double mastectomy, some women have breast reconstruction surgery to rebuild the breast(s). For breast reconstruction, a breast implant, or a patient’s natural skin, fat and muscle, is used to recreate a natural-looking breast.