Depending on the type and stage of your breast cancer, you may need surgery to effectively treat your cancer. The following information covers different surgery options your doctors and health care team may discuss with you. It also includes tips on how to care for yourself after surgery.

If the information included here differs from what your individual surgeon recommends, follow your surgeon’s directions. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or health care team.

In certain instances your doctor may recommend that you have neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is chemotherapy given before surgery to shrink the cancer, which may allow a woman with a larger cancer to have a lumpectomy or improve the results with other surgical options.

• Lumpectomy
• Mastectomy
• Prophylactic Mastectomy
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy
• Complete axillary lymph node dissection
• Breast reconstruction
• Postoperative care

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The information in this section will help you plan and prepare for your treatment. However, it is not meant to replace the individual attention, advice, and treatment plan of your oncologist and medical team.

Updated 4/12/06