Breast Cancer Surgeries - Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, and Lymph Node Removal

What are the different types of surgeries available to treat breast cancer? What are the pros and cons of each? Which one is right for me? In this video, Dr. Jennifer Griggs explains everything you need to know about surgeries to treat breast cancer.
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Read More:
• Who Should Have Surgery and Which Type? - blog.yerbba.co...
• Types of Surgery to Treat Breast Cancer - blog.yerbba.co...
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#breastcancersurgery #mastectomyrecovery #lumpectomy
Disclaimer: Yerbba KZbin videos are for informational purposes only, do not constitute medical advice, and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical team, mental health professional, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition.

[@Cheryl-t7b]

It's not just about survival with some of us. I was just diagnosed with grade 1 IDC. I'm ER+, PR- and HER2 is +2 pending FISH. My identical twin sister died of the same cancer 2010, although hers was a lot more advanced when she was diagnosed. I don't want to live with the fear of a recurrence, going for mammograms every year and being called back because they found something, having to get a biopsy and going through all that anxiety and turmoil again. I would rather have one big surgery than a bunch of little ones. I'm leaning toward a bilateral mastectomy even though my tumor is small and the grade is low. I'm 63 years old and my breasts aren't that important to me anymore. But my peace of mind is.

[@yerbba]

We understand your concerns especially given your family history. Choosing a bilateral mastectomy for peace of mind is a deeply personal decision, and it’s important to do what feels right for you. Discussing this option with your surgeon can help you weigh the benefits and risks.

[@pamelasookermany7175]

Thanks Doctor. This has been very informative. I had Surgery 7 years ago to remove cists... it was cancer.... never had any treament... was local cancer not progressive cancer. June 2021 .... 7yrs.... Oct 2020 lumps reocuried. Dr wants to do Massectomy. I don't mind. ... God bless you. Stay safe ....thanks for sharing. Luv ..... Pam.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for watching. Let us know if you have ideas for other videos.

[@wheelie642]

My Mother had a partial mastectomy 20 years ago. It was accompanied with radiation. A few years ago she started developing calcium build up in her breast. It has continuously grown in her breast breaching the skin. She has chronic open wounds on her beast on the top and sides. They discharge a lot and keeping up with changing the dressing every day is daunting. She is 84 and has mild dementia. She is not a good candidate for surgery at her age because of risks. If we knew now what we didn't know then we would have had a full mastectomy.

[@yerbba]

This must be so distressing for her and for your whole family.

[@shenanigans8799]

I had stage 3 melanoma, still under care for that. I had my mammogram a few months ago, BIRADS 4, found an issue in the right breast, sent me to a major hospital for follow up, I had a stereotactic biopsy , and that hospital found a mass in the left breast , had a US guided biopsy, left breast was DCIS, right breast was IDC, I was scheduled for bilateral lumpectomies, the week before surgery, I had an MRI, which found another mass in the left breast. I decided to have a bilateral mastectomy, I felt it was the best thing to do given my prior cancer. After my surgery, the mass in the left breast was upgraded from DCIS to cancer.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for sharing your story. Wishing you all the best.

[@mctaylor8465]

Again i find your videos so supportive and helped me to more clearly remember/learn why certain things were done..I'm the person who had a bilateral mastectomy done. .stage 3 lobular cancer size and lymph nodes were involve.3 foci with 1 being 5.5 cm and other 2 totalled over 5 cm.... reason bilateral done was 1 breast 'loaded' with ca and other had an area of atypical lobular hyperplasia and LCIS.. I had a choice of having lumpectomy(sp) or mastectomy on second side.my choice..because it was lobular ca and experienced the difficulty in locating involvment, i chose both breast removed..i chose not to have reconstruction based on others sharing the problems..was a good decision, but i look at my chest and feel sad a huge part of my feminity(sp) has been lost...difficulty to accept it was the right decision to make. Thank you for allowing me to share..so hard to share these feelings with family(sibling)(no husband or children)and friends.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for your kind words. We're glad our videos have been supportive and helped you understand more about your journey. Choosing to have a bilateral mastectomy was a significant decision, especially given the complexities of lobular cancer. It’s understandable to feel a sense of loss, but your decision was made with great care and thoughtfulness. You can come here anytime and share your experiences and your emotions. The Yerbba community is here to support you as you navigate these feelings.

[@mctaylor8465]

Thank you for kind words

[@sterling_roses964]

This was wonderful and you seem to be a kind, caring physician. I wish you were mine...I just found I have ADH with borderline low grade DCIS. My doctor isn't terribly kind and seems evasive. I've put off surgery because of it, but will have it this week. I don't even know what it is, that's pretty bad. Thank goodness for people like you...the world needs more of this.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for the feedback. Wishing you the best.

[@Hollygdorsey1]

Not sure if you have been to this site but it helped me so much and everyone talks to you. . I pray it helps you

[@user23056]

Thank you for an easy to understand explanation.

[@yerbba]

Great to hear that the video was helpful and easy to understand for you!

[@jeanniesabol5410]

While SURVIVAL rates with lumpectomy + radiation + hormone therapy and mastectomy are quite similar (however, mastectomy does seem to have a slightly higher surviva rate), REOCCURRENCE rates are different (mastectomy REOCCURRENCE rates are lower) This is something to know and to consider when making a surgical choice. One wonders if patients are told this, when they absolutely should be. Who wants to go through breast cancer a second time? To make an informed decision, one needs to be fully informed, including being informed about reoccurrence rates. Also, with lumpectomy with radiation + hormone therapy one needs frequent surveillance, including mammogram, which is radiation and which isn't 100 % accurate. Also, chest radiation following lumpectomy has significant potential side effects (heart/lung fibrosis which can occur months to years later and which is permanent, possible osteoporosis and bone fractures, and possibly radiation-induced cancer). These side effects aren't all that rare - read the scientific articles on line to learn more. Patients do need to be informed so they can make INFORMED decisions. Just telling patients about survival rates isn't enough and I think is misleading. One other thought - hormone therapy itself can cause liver problems and osteoporosis, as well (osteoporosis is treatable, although not curable). These are some things to consider and to ask the surgeon about, although one would think the surgeon would be forthcoming about this information at the onset. And last - patients should be informed of ALL of their surgical options - ultimately, they must live with this.

[@yerbba]

These are really good points. We are deeply familiar with the long term side effects of radiation therapy. The data indicating long term effects on bone, heart, lungs, etc. are the long term data derived from treating people decades ago. Radiation therapy techniques are now such that we no longer use the en face approach. CT planning, which is standard-of-care, avoids bone, heart, lungs, etc. for nearly 100% of tissues. Agree that recurrence can be extremely hard for people, even when it remains curable. However, in work we've done with patients who have had a second cancer, the majority of people do not regret their original treatment decisions. The place where we see regret is when the patient wanted a mastectomy and the surgeon was not in favor of mastectomy. This brings us back to the fundamental principle of our mission of providing high quality information support that helps people make a values-concordant decision.

[@healinhand]

Mastectomies have there own issues also..... some are worse than the potential of recurrence.

[@gingerjoy5836]

Awesome Vid…Thank You🙌🏼💗

[@yerbba]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gingerjoy5836]

@@yerbba I did, it was very helpful🤗 When I first found out I had BC, my first thought was “get rid of them, they have served their purpose.” I’m so thankful for the help of your vids and my Breast Surgeon to help me make the logical decision for Breast Conserving Surgery (3 weeks ago). It really was the best decision for me🙌🏼💗

[@princeahmed5795]

Thanks for the informative video

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching and your comment.

[@rezaulhaque1695]

Thanks a lot.

[@yerbba]

Thank you for watching!

[@jeanniesabol5410]

Attorney here. Isn't the type of surgery up to the patient? What is someone doesn't want radiation or hormone therapy, both of which have significant and often permanent side effects? Someone shouldn't be coerced or bullied into having a type of surgery they don't want.

[@yerbba]

We couldn't agree with you more. There is no room for coercion of any time in medicine. You'll notice in all of our videos that we talk about treatment "recommendations" rather than treatment "rules," etc. We believe that decisions made by any patient should be based on patient preferences and high quality information support. Our video on "How to Determine which Breast Cancer Surgery is Right for You" explains the considerations each person can take into account as they make their decisions.

[@jeanniesabol5410]

I do think some doctors are coercive and bullying, although I agree this type of conduct has no place in medical treatment. Also, they fail to advise patients of all treatment options, but only the treatment option the doctor wants the patient to have. Question - does the doctor make more money - for example, get a monetary bonus - by pushing one treatment over another (for example, a lesser, less expensive surgery)? If so, the doctor should so inform the patient to avoid conflict of interest, which seems to be an ethical violation. The patient deserves to know.

[@jumjumjumuk]

Thank you dr. Very good 👍

[@yerbba]

You're welcome.

[@iramsavir5631]

Unless mammogram and/or ultrasound shows abnormalities, I do not want any lymph nodes removed, sentinel or otherwise, regardless. I am no spring chicken and don't want to spend whatever remaining years I may have left suffering from lymphedema or worse.

[@yerbba]

Thanks for your comment. It's understandable to fear a side effect like lymphedema. Remember though that we need to know the stage of disease to make the best treatment recommendations. For older people with small tumors, skipping a sentinel lymph node assessment may be appropriate. This would be something to ask your medical team about.

[@cassieoz1702]

My lobular cancer was missed by mammogram, ultrasound and MRI, and was in 16 out of 18 nodes. They did an axillary clearance (9 years ago) and I've never had any lymphoedema. I had the other breast removed the next year because I no longer trusted mammogram and ultrasound to find any cancer in future and lobular cell cancer can arise bilaterally

[@barbkelly9604]

What surgery and/or f/u treatment is recommended for Paget's of the nipple? I've had mammogram, ultrasound, MRI and punch biopsy of the nipple which finally confirmed Paget's. There appears to be no underlying masses associated with it, only nipple involvement - is that possible? All my research suggests an underlying cancer.

[@yerbba]

With Paget's disease, we do look for an underlying cancer, but there is not always an associated cancer. It can be hard to diagnosis as it was in your case. We hope that you are doing well.

[@cherilynchavez2865]

Maam is it normal that even 1year is the wound in my breast is open why it takes too long i had a m r m lastyear

[@yerbba]

It's not typical for a surgical wound to remain open for such an extended period. It's important to consult with your medical team to determine the appropriate treatment.

[@cherilynchavez2865]

Hello doc. i'm from philippine can u please help me what kind of treatment can i go i had a breast cancer stage 1 i had new ultrasound 1x1 cm doc what un u frefer remove the breast or only the mass thank u and Godbless

[@condezaj3880]

Sis i have breast cancer stage 1 as well im also confused whats the best surgery for me

[@yerbba]

Thanks for watching. The treatment of Stage I breast cancer depends on not only the stage but also the tumor "personality," including the estrogen and progesterone receptor status and the HER2 status. Surgery will be part of your treatment plan. Other treatment options vary according to the factors above, whether or not you have functioning ovaries, and a few other things, such as the results of gene assays done on the tumor itself. Please check out our other videos.

[@WarlitaManera]

I am FR Phil also working in HK with stage 1Breast C. . I had lumpectomy, Radiation- 20 sessions and hormonal therapy now

[@WarlitaManera]

I am FR Phil also working in HK with stage 1Breast C. . I had lumpectomy, Radiation- 20 sessions and hormonal therapy now ( er+ pr+)

[@minnesotagal507]

I have heard that blue dye is very painful.

[@kristenbutler4481]

It is. They take a needle with blue dye and hold it for around 5 to 10 seconds in the areola of the breast 4x. It was one of the worst things to have done before my lumpectomy.

[@yerbba]

The injection does indeed cause more pain than many people are prepared for. Many people are told that there will be "discomfort," which I think diminishes the ability of people to prepare. Some of my patients have used recorded meditations during the injection. Deep relaxation can help people manage the pain.

[@healinhand]

Prior to leaving for surgery, I put a heavy layer (1/4 inch tall )of EMLA cream on her and spread it approximately 1 inch around the areola. I then covered it with saran wrap and sealed the edges with tape. The injection was completely pain free.

[@kaleiam6246]

I think it varies per person. My mother told me it was excruciating. and some of the worst pain ever. However, I found it to be like a mosquito bite feeling. I actually said, "was that it?"

[@tessyk5571]

Whether there is more chance for lymphoedema for mastectomy?

[@yerbba]

Mastectomy is not more likely to be associated with lymphedema--rather, it's a function of the management of the lymph nodes. Great question.

[@aishapatel9986]

Best to c oncologist an have surgery remove lump .

[@yerbba]

Yes, surgery is part of the treatment plan for nearly every patient.