Breast lump removal

Alternative names:

lumpectomy

Definition:

Surgical removal of a breast lump.

Description:

A breast lump may either be a cyst filled with fluid or a solid mass of tissue. A sample of the breast tissue (biopsy) must be made to determine whether malignant (cancerous) cells are present. Almost two-thirds of all breast lumps are benign but the chance of a malignant lump is greatly increased if the woman is past menopause.

While the patient is awake or sleepy (sedated) and pain-free (local anesthesia or general anesthesia), an incision is made over the lump. The lump is removed in one piece and sent to the laboratory for immediate examination. The skin is stitched back together.

Indications:

Early detection of a breast lump is very important to the prognosis (probable outcome). Also, remember that most breast lumps are not diagnosed at the doctor's office but at home by the women themselves in a breast self-examination. All breast lumps that persist beyond a few days must be reported to the doctor.

Update Date: 02/09/00
Updated by: J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics and adam.com editorial