Learn about the various surgical options for breast cancer, including lymph node removal and breast reconstruction. Understand the different types of surgery based on cancer type and stage.
Learn more about:
- Overview
- Which surgery should I have?
- Treatment before surgery
- Breast-conserving surgery
- Mastectomy
- Breast reconstruction
- Removing lymph nodes
- What to expect after breast surgery
- What your breast looks like after surgery
- Side effects of surgery
Overview
The type of surgery your doctor suggests will depend on the type and stage of the cancer, where it is in the breast, the size of your breast, and what you prefer. In most cases, you will have one or more lymph nodes removed from the armpit (called axillary surgery).
Some people also choose to have a new breast shape made during the operation (breast reconstruction).
Which surgery should I have?
The 2 different types of surgery used for breast cancer are:
- breast-conserving surgery – when only part of the breast is removed
- mastectomy – when the whole breast is removed.
Depending on your situation, you may have a choice between the 2 types of surgery. Research has shown that for most early breast cancers, having breast-conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy works just as well as a mastectomy.
The operations have different benefits, risks and side effects. Talk to your doctor about the best option for you.
For more on this, see our general section on Surgery.
Treatment before surgery
While surgery is often the main treatment for both early and locally advanced breast cancer, you may have other treatments before surgery.
Called neoadjuvant treatment, it may be discussed at an MDT. Chemotherapy is often used before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy or NAC). Or, you may have hormone therapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, or a combination of these treatments.
Neoadjuvant treatment can help to reduce the size of the cancer before surgery and improve your chance of having a good outcome. It may also mean you can have less complex surgery.
For locally advanced breast cancer, for example, neoadjuvant treatment may mean you can choose to have breast-conserving surgery rather than a mastectomy.
In some cases – particularly for people with HER2+ or triple negative cancers – neoadjuvant treatment can kill all cancer cells. Called a complete pathological response, it improves the chance of a good outcome.
→ READ MORE: Breast-conserving surgery
Podcast: Making Treatment Decisions
Listen to more episodes from our podcast for people affected by cancer
More resources
Dr Diana Adams, Medical Oncologist, Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, NSW; Prof Bruce Mann, Specialist Breast Surgeon and Director, Breast Cancer Services, The Royal Melbourne and The Royal Women’s Hospitals, VIC; Dr Shagun Aggarwal, Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Prince of Wales, Sydney Children’s and Royal Hospital for Women, NSW; Andrea Concannon, consumer; Jenny Gilchrist, Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology, Macquarie University Hospital, NSW; Monica Graham, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Natasha Keir, Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology, GenesisCare, QLD; Dr Bronwyn Kennedy, Breast Physician, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, NSW; Lisa Montgomery, consumer; A/Prof Sanjay Warrier, Specialist Breast Surgeon, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Dr Janice Yeh, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
