Research News on Surgery

Surgery has long been the standard of care for treating breast cancer. In the past, this often meant complete removal of the breast—no matter what size or stage your tumor was. But things have changed a lot in recent years.

We now have long-term research results from large, reliable studies showing that radical mastectomy is no better than less disfiguring treatments.

We also know that for women with one small tumor (less than 4 centimeters) that is removed with clear margins, lumpectomy and radiation is as effective as mastectomy.

In this section you can also read about recent studies on preventive surgery for women at a high risk for breast cancer and other important surgery-related topics.

These research reports are part of the breastcancer.org Research News program.  Our experts examine recent breast cancer research for exciting advances, important updates, and changes in how breast cancer is treated and diagnosed. We present these studies in easy-to-understand language, explaining their importance, how they were conducted, and what impact the results might have for YOU.

If you'd like to find out about upcoming Research News reports, as well as other important breastcancer.org programs, including Ask-the-Expert Online Confernces, we encourage you to sign up for free email updates.

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