Modified radical
mastectomy
: Surgery to remove the whole breast that has cancer, many of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes, part of the chest wall
muscles. This type of surgery is most common in pregnant women.Modified radical mastectomy. The dotted line shows where the entire breast and some lymph nodes are removed. Part of the chest wall muscle may also be removed.
Breast-conserving
surgery
: Surgery to remove the cancer and some normal tissue
around it, but not the breast
itself. Part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it. This type of surgery may also be called lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, segmental mastectomy, quadrantectomy, or breast-sparing surgery.Breast-conserving surgery. The tumor and some normal tissue around it are removed, but not the breast itself. Some lymph nodes under the arm may be removed. Part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it.
Even if the doctor removes all of the cancer that can be seen at
the time of surgery, the patient may be given radiation therapy
or chemotherapy
after surgery to try
to kill any cancer cells
that may be left. For pregnant women with early-stage breast cancer, radiation therapy and hormone therapy
are given after the baby is born. Treatment given after surgery, to
lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant
therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays
or other types of radiation
to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage
of the cancer being treated.
External radiation therapy is not given to pregnant women with early stage (stage I
or II) breast cancer because it can harm the unborn baby. For women with late stage (stage III
or IV) breast cancer, radiation therapy is not given during the first 3 months of pregnancy and is delayed until after the baby is born, if possible.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs
to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected
into a vein
or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity
such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Chemotherapy is usually not given during the first 3 months
of pregnancy. Chemotherapy given after this time does not usually harm the
unborn baby but may cause early labor and
low birth weight.
