A mastectomy is the removal of the breast tissue, with or without the overlying skin and nipple. There are many types of mastectomy, including a simple mastectomy, a skin-sparing mastectomy, a nipple- or areola-preserving mastectomy, and a skin-reducing mastectomy.
When a Mastectomy May Be Recommended
There are many reasons why a mastectomy is recommended or requested by a patient. These include: patient choice, large tumour in a smaller breast, recurrent breast cancer in a breast that has already had radiotherapy, inflammatory breast cancer, genetic breast cancer or multiple breast cancers in the breast.