MASTECTOMY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does mastectomy mean? 

• MASTECTOMY (noun)
  The noun MASTECTOMY has 1 sense:

1. surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumor

  Familiarity information: MASTECTOMY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MASTECTOMY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("mastectomy" is a kind of...):

ablation; cutting out; excision; extirpation (surgical removal of a body part or tissue)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mastectomy"):

modified radical mastectomy (removal of a breast and the pectoralis minor and some lymph nodes in the adjacent armpit)

radical mastectomy (removal of a breast and the underlying muscles (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor) and lymph nodes in the adjacent armpit)

simple mastectomy (removal of a breast leaving the underlying muscles and the lymph nodes intact)

 Context examples 

Surgery to rebuild the shape of the breast after a mastectomy.

(Breast Reconstruction, NCI Dictionary)

Breast reconstruction may be done at the same time as the mastectomy, or it may be done later on.

(Breast Reconstruction, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

A type of surgery used to rebuild the shape of the breast after a mastectomy.

(Free flap, NCI Dictionary)

Doctors consider radical mastectomy only when the tumor has spread to the chest muscles.

(Halsted radical mastectomy, NCI Dictionary)

An inflatable reservoir that is used to expand the remaining breast skin after a mastectomy and prior to surgical reconstruction.

(Breast Tissue Expander, NCI Thesaurus)

An angiosarcoma arising from the skin of the arm following radical mastectomy and resulting lymphedema.

(Angiosarcoma of the Skin of the Arm after Radical Mastectomy followed by Lymphedema, NCI Thesaurus)

This procedure is also referred to as lumpectomy, segmental mastectomy, or partial mastectomy.

(Breast Conservation Treatment, NCI Thesaurus)

Treatment may consist of radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

(Breast Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Also called segmental mastectomy.

(Partial mastectomy, NCI Dictionary)

Causes of edema include: • Eating too much salt • Sunburn • Heart failure • Kidney disease • Liver problems from cirrhosis • Pregnancy • Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy • Some medicines • Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

(Edema, NIH)