Mastectomy

In women with breast cancer or breast tumor with a high risk of malignancy, surgical removal of the breast along with the tumor is employed. Prophylactic mastectomy is a procedure suggested for women with a high risk of future breast cancer where both the breasts are removed prophylactically in the absence of any neoplasm. Five types of mastectomy are simple or total, radical, modified radical, partial, and subcutaneous. In a simple or total mastectomy, the whole breast is removed. In modified radical breast tissue with axillary lymph nodes are removed. Radical mastectomy is the most extensive as it involves removing the breast, lymph nodes, and muscles of the chest wall. In a partial mastectomy, only the tumor and few tissues surrounding it are removed. Finally, subcutaneous mastectomy removes the breast, sparing the nipple tissue.