TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Think about what is important to you
Source: Choosing Between a Lumpectomy and Mastectomy, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: December 2, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
NCI patient treatment article for this disease Exact source article; not a clinically reviewed indication or current-standard recommendation.
Context: Choosing Between a Lumpectomy and Mastectomy
Think about what is important to you
After you have talked with a breast surgeon and learned the facts, you may also want to talk with your spouse or partner, family, friends, or other women who have had breast cancer surgery.
Then, think about what is important to you. Thinking about the following questions and talking them over with others might help:
If I have a lumpectomy or other breast-conserving surgery, am I willing and able to have radiation therapy 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks?
If I have a lumpectomy and the cancer comes back later in the same breast, how would I feel about needing a mastectomy?
If I have a mastectomy, do I also want breast reconstruction surgery?
If I have breast reconstruction surgery, do I want it at the same time as the mastectomy?
What treatment does my insurance cover? What do I have to pay for?
How important is it to me how my breast looks after cancer surgery?
How important is it to me how my breast feels after cancer surgery?
If I have a mastectomy and do not have reconstruction, will my insurance cover prostheses and special bras?
Where can I find breast prostheses and special bras?
Do I want a second opinion?
Is there someone else I should talk with about my surgery choices?
What else do I want to learn or do before I decide about breast cancer surgery?
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice