There are two kinds of surgical treatments for breast cancer. The first is mastectomy where the entire breast is removed. The medical evidence clearly shows that most women with breast cancer simply do not need mastectomy. While the rates of mastectomy have been rising in recent years most women choose a lumpectomy plus radiation, otherwise known as breast-conserving therapy.
With a lumpectomy, only part of the breast containing the cancer is removed. The remainder of the breast is then treated with radiation.
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Another treatment option is partial breast irradiation. This is a lumpectomy and radiation only to the area where the tumor was removed. Dr. Richard Zellars, Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Indiana School of Medicine, says there is data to strongly suggest that this may be equally as effective as radiating the entire breast.
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