Breast Conserving Surgery: Surgical Procedures for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, we shift our attention to breast conserving options for the more than 200,000 women in the United States who are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year.

​“When breast cancer is invasive it moves beyond the milk ducts or lobules into the nearby breast tissue,” says Amit Kharod, M.D, a general surgeon, board-certified in general and laparoscopic surgery, who specializes in breast procedures such as mastectomy, partial mastectomy, lumpectomy, and cyst removals.

For these type of patients, many surgeons recommend breast conserving surgery before radiation therapy because they have similar overall survival rates as those who undergo a mastectomy, a surgical removal of the breast. Favorable survival rate statistics is just one reason the majority of early-stage breast cancer patients choose breast sparing surgery, according to Dr. Kharod. “Other reasons include consideration of the cosmetic appearance of the breast, and a shorter, easier recuperation period.”

The two types of breast conserving surgeries include a lumpectomy and a partial mastectomy. While these surgeries are similar, a partial mastectomy is a more involved procedure. Your doctor will help you determine which procedure best suits your condition. Here’s what you need to know about both surgical methods:

Lumpectomy: A surgeon removes the cancerous tumor along with some surrounding normal breast tissue. The tissue is then sent to a pathology laboratory for detailed testing. The procedure, which typically lasts from 1-2 hours, is most often done with local anesthesia and sedation or general anesthesia (where the patient is put to sleep). “Your surgeon will remove several lymph nodes in the underarm and have them tested,” says Dr. Kharod. The surgery is followed by radiation. Some patients may also need chemotherapy, and/or hormone therapy after the removal of the tumor.

Partial Mastectomy: Similar to a lumpectomy, your surgeon will remove the tumor and some normal tissue around it, along with several lymph nodes for pathology testing. However, with this procedure, your surgeon will remove more breast tissue and some lining over the chest muscles under the tumor. A partial mastectomy is also followed by radiation. Some patients may also need chemotherapy, and/or hormone therapy as an additional treatment adjunct to surgery to ensure the best survival outcomes.

“When performing breast conserving surgery, a surgeon’s ultimate goal is to deliver completely cancer-free and clear margins of breast tissue around the site of the tumor in order to ensure a low recurrence rate,” says Dr. Kharod.

CENTRAL JERSEY’S LEADER IN SURGICAL CARE

Conveniently located at CentraState Medical Center, ASHA is considered Central Jersey’s leader in general surgery and ancillary testing. We are a practice dedicated to serving our patients with the most advanced surgical treatments available and are passionate about treating you with the best care possible. Our surgeons are experts in their respective fields, and we offer a wide array of surgical procedures using the latest minimally invasive techniques, which will shorten your recovery time, decrease pain, and decrease the chance of wound complications. We look forward to having you as our patient!

For more information about Dr. Amit Kharod, M.D, please visit his website: http://www.njasha.com