What is a radical mastectomy?
There is a relative who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I heard that the radical mastectomy has good results. What exactly is it?
Doctor's answer (1)
Mastectomy for breast cancer is a surgical treatment method aimed at patients with breast cancer, primarily intended to completely remove cancer cells from the breast and prevent cancer recurrence and spread. Traditional radical mastectomy includes total mastectomy (removal of all breast tissue), axillary lymph node dissection, and sometimes removal of the chest muscles.
Specifically, radical mastectomy mainly involves the following steps:
1. Extent of resection: Not only is the affected breast removed, but also surrounding fat tissue, the pectoralis major and minor muscles, as well as lymph nodes in the axillary and subclavicular regions.
2. Incision selection: The incision type can be chosen based on the patient's specific condition—horizontal, vertical, or spindle-shaped incisions. The skin resection margin usually extends more than 3 cm beyond the tumor edge.
3. Lymph node dissection: During the surgery, axillary lymph nodes are dissected to thoroughly remove any potentially present cancer cells.
The choice of surgical approach must be comprehensively considered based on the patient's specific condition, including tumor location, size, and lymph node metastasis status, and an individualized treatment plan should be formulated by a specialist physician.
