Mastectomy is surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast in order to treat or prevent breast cancer. Many women with early-stage breast cancer can choose breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), in which only the tumor is removed from the breast. Deciding between mastectomy and lumpectomy can be difficult. Both procedures are equally effective. But lumpectomy isn't an option for some women with breast cancer, and others prefer to undergo a mastectomy.

Advance mastectomy techniques can preserve breast skin and give appearance of more natural breast following the procedure. Surgery to restore shape of your breast — called breast reconstruction — may be done at the same time as your mastectomy or in a secondary operation at a later date.

Why it's done
The goal of mastectomy is to remove all breast tissue if you have breast cancer or are at especially high risk of developing it. You may have a mastectomy in one or both breasts.

Physically removing the tumor is the single most effective treatment for breast cancer. Removal and examination of breast tissue and nearby lymph nodes also provides important information to help guide future treatment decisions.
Mastectomy may be a treatment option for many types of breast cancer, including:

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
• Stages 1 and 2 (early-stage) breast cancer
• Stage 3 (locally advanced) breast cancer
• Inflammatory breast cancer (after therapy to reduce skin swelling and inflammation)
• Paget's disease of the breast
• Locally recurrent breast cancer
• Phyllodes tumor

Your doctor may recommend mastectomy instead of lumpectomy plus radiation if:

• You have two or more tumors in several areas of the breast.
• You have widespread or malignant-appearing calcium deposits (micro calcifications) throughout the breast.
• You've previously had radiation treatment to the breast region.
• You're pregnant, when radiation creates an unacceptable risk to your unborn child.
• You've had lumpectomy, but cancer is still present.
• You carry a gene mutation that gives you a high risk of developing a second cancer in your breast.