A mastectomy is surgery to remove a breast or part of a breast. It is usually done to treat breast cancer. Types of breast surgery include Total (simple) mastectomy - removal of breast tissue and nipple; Modified radical mastectomy - removal of the breast, most of the lymph nodes under the arm, and often the lining over the chest muscles; Lumpectomy - surgery to remove the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it. Which surgery you have depends on the stage of cancer, size of the tumor, size of the breast, and whether the lymph nodes are involved. Many women have breast reconstruction to rebuild the breast after a mastectomy. Sometimes mastectomy is done to prevent breast cancer. Only high-risk patients have this type of surgery. NIH: National Cancer Institute

Surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).

Surgical procedure to remove one or both breasts.

Surgical removal of the breast.

A mastectomy is an umbrella term used for several techniques to remove one or both breasts. In addition, the surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes to determine whether the cancer has spread.

Mastectomy, surgical removal of a breast, usually to remove a malignancy but also performed in the treatment of other conditions (e.g., cystic breast disease) and for other medical reasons. Mastectomy is most effective when the cancerous tumour is discovered at an early stage and the malignant...