A question many women wonder about is whether it is true that anyone with breast cancer must have their breast removed? The answer is that nowadays, this is no longer the case because modern medicine can treat breast cancer with new surgical innovations that not only focus on curing the disease but also aim to significantly improve the patient’s quality of life. This is called Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, which combines breast cancer surgery with reconstructive surgical techniques. Previously, breast cancer surgery was frightening because it involved removing the entire breast, resulting in unattractive scars, or breast-conserving surgery that often left the preserved breast looking deformed and misshapen.
This new oncoplastic surgery approach considers both the surgical outcome of curing the disease and achieving a more aesthetically pleasing breast. Even if the patient must have the entire breast removed (due to multiple cancerous areas) or undergo breast-conserving surgery, those who have their entire breast removed will have breast reconstruction performed simultaneously with the cancer surgery (or possibly later). This means that when waking up from surgery, the patient still has a breast, avoiding the feeling of loss associated with complete breast removal.
For those undergoing breast-conserving surgery, reconstructive techniques are used to remove the tumor while designing the incision and determining the amount of breast tissue to be removed to prevent deformity or distortion after surgery. At the same time, surgery is performed to reshape or resize the other breast to ensure both breasts look beautiful and symmetrical.
This new surgical method can be performed on breast cancer patients at all stages, but the best cosmetic results are seen in early-stage patients because the tumor has not extensively damaged other breast tissues, especially the skin. Additionally, the nipple can often be preserved, resulting in reconstructed breasts that look as natural as possible.
Although modern breast cancer surgery allows doctors to remove the breast and reconstruct it beautifully, it is important for all women to have annual breast cancer screenings. The best treatment outcomes come from detecting the disease at an early stage. If a person never undergoes screening and only discovers a lump by chance, it is often advanced with lymph node involvement, making treatment less effective compared to patients diagnosed early without symptoms.
