Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation as a preventive measure. Alternatively, some women can choose to have a wide local excision, also known as a lumpectomy, an operation in which a small volume of breast tissue containing the tumor and a surrounding margin of healthy tissue is removed to conserve the breast. Both mastectomy and lumpectomy are referred to as "local therapies" for breast cancer, targeting the area of the tumor, as opposed to systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or immunotherapy.
Mammaplasty refers to a group of surgical procedures, the goal of which is to reshape or otherwise modify the appearance of the breast. There are two main types of mammoplasty:
- Augmentation mammaplasty is commonly performed to increase the size, change the shape, and/or alter the texture of the breasts. This usually involves the surgical implantation of breast implant devices.
- Reduction mammaplasty is commonly performed to reduce the size, change the shape, and/or alter the texture of the breasts. This involves the removal of breast tissue.
Breast augmentation and augmentation mammoplasty is a cosmetic surgery technique using breast-implants and fat-graft mammoplasty techniques to increase the size, change the shape, and alter the texture of the breasts. Although in some cases augementation mammoplasty is applied to correct congenital defects of the breasts and the chest wall in other cases it is used purely as a cosmetic surgery, primary breast augmentation changes the aesthetics – of size, shape, and texture – of healthy breasts.
Sir Geoffrey Langdon Keynes was a British surgeon and author. He began his career as a physician in World War I, before becoming a doctor at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where he made notable innovations in the fields of blood transfusion and breast cancer surgery. Keynes was also a publishing scholar and bibliographer of English literature and English medical history, focusing primarily on William Blake and William Harvey.
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenital defects and deformities of the chest wall or, cosmetically, to enlarge the appearance of the breast through breast augmentation surgery.
Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award and three Golden Globe Awards, she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times.
Bernard Fisher was an American surgeon and a pioneer in the biology and treatment of breast cancer. He was a native of Pittsburgh. He was Chairman of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His work established definitively that early-stage breast cancer could be more effectively treated by lumpectomy, in combination with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or hormonal therapy, than by radical mastectomy.
George Washington "Barney" Crile Jr. was an American surgeon. He was a significant influence on how breast cancer is treated and was a visible and controversial advocate for alternative procedures, now considered normal treatments. He worked at the Cleveland Clinic for more than fifty years.
A preventive mastectomy or prophylactic mastectomy or risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) is an elective operation to remove the breasts so that the risk of breast cancer is reduced.
Krystal Barter is a health activist, author and founder of Humanise Health, A patient-led & advocacy agency working with leading businesses in the health sector who make it their purpose to positively impact lives.
Kristi Funk is an American breast cancer surgeon known for her surgical treatment of celebrities Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow and her advocacy of whole-food plant-based nutrition.
Raghu Ram Pillarisetti is an Indian surgeon, and the Founder and Director of KIMS-Ushalakshmi Center for Breast Diseases at KIMS Hospitals. Pillarisetti is the founder of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, and Pink Connexion, a quarterly newsletter about breast healthcare.
Lisa Lynch was a British journalist, known for writing about her experience of having cancer on her blog, Alright Tit, and in a book, The C-Word. She was portrayed by Sheridan Smith in the 90-minute BBC television drama, The C-Word, written by Nicole Taylor and directed by Tim Kirkby.
Christobel Mary Saunders is a British-Australian oncologist and breast cancer specialist, who holds the position of Winthrop Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Western Australia.
Syrians in the United Kingdom or Syrian Britons are people whose heritage is originated from Syria who were born in or who reside in the United Kingdom.
Prevent Breast Cancer is a UK charity funding research solely aimed at preventing breast cancer. The Manchester-based charity aims to promote early diagnosis of breast cancer, improve cancer screenings, and change the habits and lifestyles of high-risk patients. Based at The Nightingale Centre & Prevent Breast Cancer Research Centre in Wythenshawe, Manchester, where the NHS co-ordinates the breast-screening programme for the Greater Manchester area.
Patrick Stewart Boulter FRCS, FRCSEd was a general surgeon in Guildford, England. He developed a sub-speciality interest in breast surgery and was one of the pioneers in the UK of screening for breast cancer. He served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1991 to 1994.
Emilia Dauway MD, FACS, FRACS is an American trained surgeon who is practicing general, breast and oncologic surgery in Australia. Dauway was co-inventor of the use of radioactive seeds in the breast to localise non-palpable breast cancers and the first in Australia to use magnetic seeds instead of radioactive seeds. This technique replaces hookwire or needle localisation improving patient safety, outcomes and satisfaction. The method was patented by the University of South Florida while Dauway was a fellow of surgical oncology. The method has been used since 1999 and has improved with the development of modern equipment. Dauway is also a Yoga Instructor, a Keynote speaker and is founder/director of Restore More, a non-profit initiative which provides education and funding to women in regional and geographically disadvantaged areas for breast cancer treatment and reconstruction.
Jayant S. Vaidya is a British-Indian surgeon-oncologist and clinical academic who, together with Michael Baum and Jeffrey Tobias, developed the technique called targeted intra-operative radiotherapy (TARGIT). He is a professor of surgery and oncology at the University College London, London and the author of two books on breast cancer, one on tobacco eradication, and over 200 academic articles.
Lisa J. M. Caldon is a British professor and clinical lecturer specialising in oncology. In her 20 year career, Caldon has published some 20 papers in the field of medicine. These have appeared in some of the top medical and peer-reviewed journals in Britain and abroad, including Medical Education, the European Journal of Cancer, the British Journal of Surgery, Patient Education and Counseling, Psycho-Oncology, Future Oncology, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, and The Lancet Oncology. Caldon has worked at The University of Sheffield and with Cancer Research UK.
