Each year, nearly 180,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Earlier detection techniques and better mammography have led to earlier discovery of breast cancer and better options for breast reconstruction.

In the United States, the standard treatment for breast cancer for the past 25 years has been modified radical mastectomy, which is the total removal of the breast. Today, improved diagnostic and treatment methods enable more women to choose a lumpectomy (partial mastectomy) rather than a total removal of the breast.

However, for women who have large tumors and cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, or those women who have more than one tumor in the same breast, a modified radical mastectomy is usually the recommended surgical treatment. For these women, the decision is whether or not they choose to have breast reconstruction following the surgery. Breast reconstruction can be immediate (at the time of mastectomy) or it can be done later after the patient has completed cancer treatment. 

When reconstruction is necessary, a woman may choose among the various forms of reconstruction. These options include saline implants, silicone implants or an autologous flap reconstruction (using skin, tissue and possibly muscle from the patient’s abdomen, back or buttocks).

Each option has its own benefits and risks. A woman should discuss the options carefully with a qualified physician – usually a plastic surgeon – as not every breast cancer patient is a candidate for every type of reconstructive surgery. Today there are a wide variety of options available to women who want to create a new and natural-appearing breast, offering the breast cancer patient both physical and emotional healing.