Breast cancer originates from previously healthy breast cells that develop genetic mutations, allowing the cells to grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Breast tumors may be non-cancerous and benign, or cancerous and invasive. In some cases, patients may develop two breast tumors simultaneously, and require treatment for both tumors. Patients with two breast tumors have a number of cancer surgery options, depending on the characteristics, size and location of both tumors.
Lumpectomy and Radiation
Some patients with two breast tumors may receive a breast-sparing cancer surgery, called a lumpectomy. To be eligible for a lumpectomy, the tumors must be relatively early-stage and minimally invasive tumors. Patients with one early-stage malignant cancer and one benign tumor may also undergo a lumpectomy. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the breast tissue. He then removes both tumors, as well as a small amount of tissue surrounding each tumor, since these regions may contain additional tumor cells. Following surgery, patients with two breast tumors will likely receive radiation therapy designed to kill any cells remaining from either tumor. Women may opt for reconstructive surgery after a lumpectomy to help restore the look of the breast.
Mastectomy
Patients with two tumors located in one breast may benefit from a mastectomy, a surgical removal of the entire affected breast. Doctors generally choose a mastectomy over a lumpectomy for breast cancers that have invaded other regions of the breast or to remove larger breast cancer tumors. During a mastectomy, the surgeon removes the breast skin and nipple, all of the breast tissue, lymph nodes around the affected breast, and may also remove some of the muscle underneath the affected breast. A mastectomy removes any cancer cells located in the breast tissue, and can therefore remove more than one tumor within the affected breast. The University of Maryland Medical Center indicates that women who have undergone a mastectomy may undergo breast reconstruction surgery following treatment.
Double Mastectomy
If the two breast tumors occur in separate breasts, a breast cancer patient may undergo a double mastectomy--the removal of both breasts. By performing this procedure, a surgeon removes the overlying skin and nipple, breast tissue and underlying muscle for both breast, as well as lymph nodes around the breast on both sides of the body. As with a unilateral, one-sided mastectomy, breast cancer patients may undergo breast constriction after cancer surgery.
Breast cancer patients who have developed more than one breast tumor may also opt for a double mastectomy as a preventative surgery, even if they have only developed tumors in one breast. The University of Minnesota indicates that women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer may undergo a double mastectomy, especially if they have had one or more tumors in the past, since the procedure can decrease the risk of breast cancer in the other breast. The university warns that this procedure is more aggressive than other breast cancer surgeries, and may not always be an appropriate preventative measure for future breast cancer.
