Usually a person diagnosed with breast cancer will undergo surgical removal of a tumor.  Surgery may be the first or only treatment that is needed for breast cancer.  Occasionally, due to the circumstances of the tumor, its size or lymph node status or tumor features, a patient may not undergo surgery immediately.  In this setting, chemotherapy may be given first (see the section on chemotherapy).

Lumpectomy – A breast cancer tumor is removed along with additional surrounding breast tissue.

Quadrantectomy – A quarter of the breast (a quadrant) that contains the cancer is removed.

Skin sparing mastectomy – This operation is performed on patients who are having either immediate or delayed reconstruction. This type of mastectomy reduces the amount of skin removed with the breast to preserve the appearance of the breast.

Modified radical mastectomy – The entire breast is removed along with nearby lymph nodes under the arm.

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALD) – The lymph nodes are removed under the arm on the side with the breast cancer.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLND) - With the aid of a blue/vital dye and or use of a radioactive substance that is injected in the region of the breast tumor, the surgeon identifies and removes the first (sentinel) lymph node which filters the material that drains from the nearby breast.  During this procedure, if the sentinel lymph node has cancer cells found, the surgeon will then perform a standard ALD to remove any other nearby lymph nodes that might have cancer. If no cancer is found in the sentinel lymph node(s), it is not necessary to remove any additional lymph nodes.

Above - Blue tracer fluid injected into a breast reveals the sentinel lymph node, the first lymph node that drains the breast.