Breast Cancer:Surgery and Radiation

Lesa Sverid, 44, of Plymouth, Mass., had two lumpectomies, a sentinel node biopsy, and a mastectomy—all in the same year. She's more than ready to move on, but says neither the pain nor the inconveniences have been as bad as she feared.   Read More

For Twilah Richardson, 51, there was never any question that she would take the lead on her breast cancer treatment all the way through. "I can't imagine how one could survive this experience intact without taking control to the fullest extent possible," she says. As it turned out, however, being in charge sometimes meant learning to give in to the unpredictability of the disease.   Read More

Lymph nodes are small glands that act as a filtering system for the body; the nodes in your armpit can become a magnet for breast cancer on the move. "What I tell patients is that there are two parts to breast cancer surgery: the first part is the operation on the breast itself, whether the lumpectomy or mastectomy, and the second part has to do with the lymph nodes..."  Read More

If you want to have reconstructive breast surgery after your mastectomy (and the procedure is appropriate given your health profile), you'll either get an implant or so-called autologous reconstruction, using your own tissue. The main things to consider when choosing between the two are your comfort, your appearance, and how quickly you want this over with...  Read More

Many women who've had a mastectomy will also have breast reconstruction, whether immediately (your breast surgeon literally hands you off to your plastic surgeon in the operating room) or at some point later on, maybe after you've finished radiation treatment.   Read More