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Breast conservation surgery

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Breast conservation surgery may involve either wide local excision or a quadrantectomy:

  • wide local excision involves removal of the tumour with at least a 1 cm margin of normal breast tissue

  • quadrantectomy is more extensive and involves removal of a whole quadrant of the breast

Breast conservation is often combined with axillary node dissection and/or local radiotherapy. The wider the excision the lower the recurrence rate, but the poorer the cosmetic result. However, cosmetic results are better generally than mastectomy and breast reconstruction is not usually required.

Alternative terms for operations involving breast conservation include lumpectomy, tumourectomy and tylectomy. They all imply removal of the tumour with a peripheral rim of normal tissue.


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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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