lumpectomy
Meaning of lumpectomy: A lumpectomy removes a breast tumor along with a margin of surrounding normal tissue while preserving as much of the breast as possible.
Definition of lumpectomy
A lumpectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a tumor or area of abnormal tissue from the breast along with a margin of surrounding normal tissue, while leaving the rest of the breast intact. It is a form of breast conserving surgery, in contrast to a mastectomy, which removes the entire breast.
The removed tissue is examined under a microscope to confirm that the surrounding margin is free of abnormal cells, which helps determine whether further treatment or additional surgery is needed. Nearby lymph nodes are sometimes evaluated during the same procedure.
A lumpectomy is often followed by radiation therapy to the remaining breast tissue, since removing the tumor alone does not eliminate the small risk that abnormal cells remain nearby, and the combination of surgery and radiation is intended to achieve outcomes comparable to more extensive surgery for suitable cases.
Used in a sentence
The patient underwent a lumpectomy followed by a planned course of radiation therapy.
Good to know
A lumpectomy removes the tumor and a margin of tissue around it rather than the entire breast, which is the key distinction from a mastectomy.
Word origin
Where “lumpectomy” comes from
Formed from the English word lump, describing the abnormal tissue removed, and the Greek suffix -ectomy, from ektome, meaning a cutting out or excision.