Small Incisions, Big Impact: Lumpectomy as a Minimally Invasive Breast Cancer Treatment

 Navigating Lumpectomy and Breast Cancer

Lumpectomy and breast health 

The surgical procedure is the most prevalent treatment for breast cancer. Surgeons treat breast cancer in its initial stages through a lumpectomy. It is a procedure that assists in treating women affected by breast cancer. A breast lumpectomy aims to remove the breast lump and some healthy tissue surrounding the tumour. A lumpectomy is as beneficial as a mastectomy in curing breast cancer when paired with postoperative radiation therapy.

Following cancer treatment, a lumpectomy may allow you to keep more of your natural breast form and appearance.

What is lumpectomy surgery?

A lumpectomy also involves the removal of a tiny quantity of healthy breast tissue surrounding a malignant tumour. Surgeons commonly perform a lumpectomy to treat small, initial-stage breast cancer tumours in women. Lumpectomy recovery is easy for most patients. The recovery time is about a month. Your onco-surgeon may remove lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread. Your surgical oncologist will examine the tissue to see if it has carcinogenic cells. In addition, your surgeon may remove multiple lymph nodes to test for malignant cells. If your surgeon finds malignant cells in the tissue sample or lymph nodes, he may decide to spare surgery or therapy. Lumpectomy has surpassed radical mastectomy as the recommended surgical treatment because it preserves the breast’s natural appearance and aesthetic quality. It removes malignancy and a small margin of normal breast tissue. A surgical oncologist, a specialist in cancer surgery, performs a lumpectomy. 

A happy lady after Breast Cancer Surgery

What are the two types of lumpectomy surgeries?

1. Sentinel node biopsy
2. Axillary lymph node surgical method

What procedures and tests are necessary for the patient before lumpectomy surgery?

• Before a lumpectomy, the surgeon will examine the patient and perform mammography, an X-ray film of the soft breast tissues.
• Your surgeon may do a breast MRI scan before the lumpectomy. This action confirms whether another disease in the opposite breast could affect the current lumpectomy.
• You will undergo a biopsy to collect tissue samples before your lumpectomy. Your doctor may also compile blood and urine samples for further pathological examination.
• If the breast tumour site is not detectable, the doctor will use a thin wire or similar equipment and an X-ray film or ultrasound to confirm the tumour’s location.

What happens during lumpectomy surgery, and how long does it take? 

• Your oncologist can conduct a lumpectomy under sterile conditions with a local anaesthetic to numb the surgical site.
• When you are ready, the surgeon will make the incision with a heated scalpel that cauterises (burns) your tissue, restricting bleeding. They craft the incision to simulate the natural shape of your breast, allowing it to heal.
• Your surgeon will open the skin and identify the tissue to remove. The surgeon will check the lumps to discover the affected tissue.
• The surgeon then makes an incision around the targeted tumour or over it. If the tumour is accessible from that location, your surgeon removes the malignant tissue and a tiny layer of tissue surrounding the tumour.
• The principal aim is to remove the tumour and surrounding tissue while causing minor damage to the breast.
• However, your surgeon may remove enough tissue for testing to identify if the cancer has spread. 
• Your onco-surgeon may make a secondary incision near the underarm to sample or remove axillary lymph nodes.
• The lumpectomy procedure takes between one and two hours.

How long does it take to recover from a lumpectomy?

• Following a lumpectomy, your surgeons will send you to a surgical recovery room for a brief period until you are stable. They discharge most women from the hospital or clinic on the same day, with instructions for home care. Patients need to stay in the hospital longer than two days.
• Your surgeon will place greater emphasis on infection prevention and will provide home care recommendations.
• During the first 24 hours, surgeons will put an ice bag on top to ease discomfort.
• Most women can resume routine activities within two to four days.

What are the risks and drawbacks of undergoing a lumpectomy?

1. Infections bleeding, and tissue damage in the surrounding area are risks. 
2. Although there are some hazards associated with general anaesthesia, they are uncommon.
3. A scar on the breast may be noticeable.
4. Loss of sensation.
5. Arm vein inflammation and arm skin inflammation are also possible.
6. Being a woman and getting older are the two most significant risk factors. Most breast cancers that surgeons diagnose are in women over 50 years.

 

When should you call your doctor, especially after a lumpectomy? 

Call your doctor if you encounter these symptoms or signs following a lumpectomy.

1. Infection symptoms include swelling, redness, and discomfort.
2. Persistent and severe pain
3. Excessive bleeding or fluid discharge.
4. Shortness of breath or chest pain
5. Fever, loose motion, nausea, or vomiting.
6. Infection symptoms or fluid buildup in the underarm

We recommend that you consult your doctor in such situations. 

Conclusion

A surgical oncologist, a cancer surgery specialist, performs lumpectomy surgery. A lumpectomy aims to extract the breast lump and some additional healthy tissue surrounding the tumour. Over the past ten years, the success rate of lumpectomy has been over 82 per cent.

A happy patient after Breast Surgery

 

FAQs 

• What precisely is a re-excision lumpectomy? 

A re-excision CAN BE the second surgery women undergo when their pathology results show cancer cells in the margins. Re-excision shows that the surgeon reopens the surgical site to remove an additional margin of tissue to achieve a cancer-free margin. Surgeons referred to it as clearing the margins.

 

• What do your breasts look like after a lumpectomy?

The skin around the incision may feel stiff, puffy, tender, and bruised. Tenderness should go away in 2 to 3 days, and bruising should go away in 2 weeks. Swelling and firmness might persist for 3 to 6 months. You may notice a soft lump in your breast that hardens.

 

• What is the rate of success for a lumpectomy?

Lumpectomy and radiation resulted in an 83.2 per cent 10-year survival rate. The ten-year survival rate after a single mastectomy is 79.9%.

 

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

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