Find information about coronavirus and breast cancer surgery. Some of the lymph nodes in the underarm area axillary nodes may also be removed to see if they contain cancer. The rest of the breast remains intact. How your breast looks after lumpectomy depends on the amount of tissue removed.
Step-by-Step: What to Expect After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
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Surgical Biopsies
If you require a lumpectomy for breast cancer, your surgeon will remove the tumor and a border of tissue surrounding it called the surgical margin. A pathologist will then examine the tissue to determine if all the cancer cells in that area are gone or if further treatment is needed. If cancer cells are found anywhere between the tumor itself and the outer edge of the margin, additional surgery may be recommended. To establish the width of a margin, the pathologist will measure the distance between the outer edge of cancer cells and the edge of the tissue that was removed the margin. There is no strict guideline for exactly how wide the margin around a tumor should be.
What Is a Breast Biopsy?
There are many types of breast cancers, and correctly identifying each one is important to determine the proper treatment. Breast cancers can be divided into two main overarching groups: the carcinomas and the sarcomas. Carcinomas are cancers that arise from the epithelial component of the breast. The epithelial component consists of the cells that line the lobules and terminal ducts ; under normal conditions, these epithelial cells are responsible for making milk. Carcinomas comprise the vast majority of all breast cancers, and will be further discussed below.
This identifies the area if you ever need further intervention. Thankfully, four out of five biopsies turn out to be negative. Negative or not, though, biopsies come with side effects, including soreness, burning, and discomfort in the months following surgery. Now, some people are wondering: Is the clip to blame?
