Most people with breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will have surgery to remove the tumor and nearby breast tissue. The two main types of surgery are lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) and mastectomy, with or without breast reconstruction.
Breast cancer surgery may also involve checking nearby lymph nodes for cancer. Usually, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is done, often during a lumpectomy or mastectomy but sometimes as a separate surgery. Learn more about sentinel lymph node biopsy at How Breast Cancer Is Diagnosed.
