Breast Cancer Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Most of these malignancies are discovered at earlier stages, but in some cases, patients may discover these tumors after they’ve spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer has been discovered early, surgery is the most effective treatment option.

On that end, there are two main types of breast cancer surgery:

Breast-conserving surgery may include several surgical procedures from wide local excision or lumpectomy. Both of these aim to remove the tumor and some of the surrounding breast tissue. Partial mastectomy or quadrantectomy are also breast-conserving procedures, but here, up to a quarter of the beast may be removed.

The amount that will be removed from the breast will depend on:

• The tumor size
• The type of cancer
• The amount of tissue that’s surrounding the tumor that also needs to be removed
• Breast size

Following breast-conserving surgery, patients will usually be recommended radiotherapy to destroy the cancer cells that may remain in the body.

Mastectomy will include the removal of all the breast tissue. Apart from the breast tissue, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed to see whether the lymphatic system has also been infected by the cell mutation.

If the lymph nodes also have cancerous cells, the surrounding nodes will also be removed by the breast cancer specialist.

Breast reconstruction is often recommended to make a new breast shape that looks as realistic as the breast was before surgery. Usually, the surgical oncologist can perform the reconstruction simultaneously with the mastectomy or later.

Lymph node surgery is performed mainly to find out if cancer has spread. As we’ve discussed above, first, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed to determine whether the lymphatic system also has cancerous cells.

Usually, the sentinel lymph nodes are the first in the lymphatic system that cancer cells reach while spreading. They are the part of the axillary lymph nodes, which are under the arms. After the laboratory examination, if cancer cells are present, patients will usually require further surgical procedures to remove more lymph nodes from the area.

There are also cases where surgery alone isn’t enough to treat the extent of the malignancy. In these instances, surgery may be combined with other treatment options, such as radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Patients deserve the best care, and by our side, they may feel much calmer and more positive. Breast cancer treatment can be intricate and requires a highly professional approach combined with care and patient education. Our experts strive to excel in all of these aspects.