Lumpectomy is a common surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually a benign tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

 or breast cancer

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...

, from an affected man or woman's breast

Breast

The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...

. As the tissue removed is generally quite limited and the procedure relatively non-invasive, compared to a mastectomy

Mastectomy

Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...

, a lumpectomy is considered a viable means of "breast conservation" or "breast preservation" surgery with all the attendant physical and emotional advantages of such an approach.

According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, lumpectomy may be performed for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), for invasive ductal carcinoma, or for other conditions.

Ductal carcinoma in situ

When a lumpectomy is performed for DCIS, lymph node biopsy

Lymph node biopsy

Lymph node biopsy is a test in which a lymph node or a piece of a lymph node is removed for examination under a microscope .The lymphatic system is made up of several lymph nodes connected by lymph vessels. The nodes produce white blood cells that fight infections...

 and radiation therapy

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...

 may be performed. For DCIS, chemotherapy is not recommended, but tamoxifen

Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...

 may be recommended for tumors which contain an abundance of estrogen receptor

Estrogen receptor

Estrogen receptor refers to a group of receptors that are activated by the hormone 17β-estradiol . Two types of estrogen receptor exist: ER, which is a member of the nuclear hormone family of intracellular receptors, and the estrogen G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 , which is a G protein-coupled...

s.

Invasive ductal carcinoma

For patients with invasive ductal carcinoma who have lumpectomies, lymph node biopsy and radiation therapy are usually recommended. Adjuvant

Adjuvant

An adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent that modifies the effect of other agents, such as a drug or vaccine, while having few if any direct effects when given by itself...

 chemotherapy is often recommended, but it may not be recommended if the tumor is small and benign-appearing under the microscope and there are no lymph node metastases. For larger tumors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be recommended.