Breast lumps may develop from the glandular tissue or the surrounding connective and fatty tissue within the breast, causing pain, redness and a palpable lump in the breast. Breast lumps may be classified as either noncancerous and benign, or cancerous and malignant. Patients with benign lumps or early-stage malignant lesions may undergo a lumpectomy, which is surgical removal of the tumor tissue. Depending on the characteristics of the breast tumor, surgeons may perform a range of lumpectomy procedures.
Basic Lumpectomy
In some cases, breast tumor patients may receive a basic lumpectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the breast tissue and surgically removes all or as much of the tumor as possible. Usually, he also removes a small margin of tissue surrounding the tumor to remove any diseased cells along the periphery of the tumor.
The surgeon may also collect small biopsy samples from tissue around the tumor to look for the presence of additional tumor cells in the remaining breast tissue. Since a lumpectomy leaves the breast skin, healthy breast tissue and the chest muscles intact, patients who have undergone a lumpectomy may receive breast reconstructive surgery after treatment. Lumpectomy alone may be used to treat noninvasive or benign breast tumors.
Lumpectomy with Lymph Node Removal
Some breast cancer patients may receive a more aggressive surgery, combining a lumpectomy with a removal of lymph nodes surrounding the breast. During cancer development, breast cancer cells migrate into and begin to colonize in lymph nodes, or small structures connected by a series of lymph vessels.
As the breast cancer progresses, the cancer cells gain the ability to enter the lymph vessels and travel throughout the body, a deadly process called metastasis. To help test for cancer spreading, surgeons performing a lumpectomy may also remove a number of lymph nodes to test for the presence of cancer cells in the nodes.
Patients who undergo lymph node removal may develop lymphedema, a condition in which the arm and hand on the affect side swells from a buildup of lymph fluid, according to Imaginis. Patients may perform a number of light exercises to reduce the risk of lymphedema after a lumpectomy with lymph node removal.
Lumpectomy with Radiation
Another possible lumpectomy procedure is a lumpectomy surgery combined with radiation therapy. Surgical removal of a breast mass removes the majority of the tumor tissue within the breast, while radiation following surgery can damage and kill remaining cancer cells. Radiation enters the cancer cells, causing DNA damage that ultimately leads to cancer cell death.
Patients with malignant breast tumors that receive lumpectomy surgery also typically undergo radiation therapy, according to Imaginis. The use of radiation allows surgeons to spare healthy tissue during the breast cancer surgery and reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence
