What Is a Radical Mastectomy?
A radical mastectomy is the complete removal of the breast, including the nipple. The surgeon also removes the overlying skin, the muscles beneath the breast, and the lymph nodes. Because radical mastectomy isn’t more effective than other less extreme forms of mastectomy, it’s rarely performed today. There is a procedure called a modified radical mastectomy or MRM. An MRM is less traumatic than a radical mastectomy, and it is the most common breast cancer surgery in the U.S. With the modified radical mastectomy, the entire breast is removed as well as the underarm lymph node. But pectoral muscles are left intact. The skin covering the chest wall may or may not be left intact. The procedure may be followed with breast reconstruction, which is performed by a plastic surgeon. Along with the mastectomy to remove the tumor, the surgeon will determine if the breast cancer has spread. This is called staging. After the cancer has been staged, the surgeon will prescribe appropriate follow-up tr
