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skos:definition |
NCI: Surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).,MEDLINEPLUS: <p>A mastectomy is surgery to remove a breast. It is performed either to treat or to prevent <a href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html'>breast cancer</a>. Only high-risk patients have surgery to prevent cancer. There are four main types:</p><ul><li> Total mastectomy - removal of breast tissue and nipple</li><li> Modified radical mastectomy - removal of the breast, most of the lymph nodes under the arm and often the lining over the chest muscles</li><li> Lumpectomy - surgery to remove the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it</li><li> Radical mastectomy - the removal of the breast, lymph nodes and chest muscles. This is no longer common</li></ul><p>Which surgery you have depends on the stage of cancer, size of the tumor, size of the breast and whether the lymph nodes are involved. Many women have <a href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastreconstruction.html'>breast reconstruct
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