mastectomy
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A surgical operation to remove all or part of a breast, typically performed to treat or prevent breast cancer. A mastectomy is a major surgical procedure where breast tissue is removed.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- After her diagnosis, she opted for a mastectomy.
- A preventive mastectomy can significantly reduce the risk of cancer for high-risk patients.
- The surgeon explained the differences between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy.
Advanced Usage
- "to undergo a mastectomy": to have the surgical procedure performed.
- She had to undergo a double mastectomy.
- "prophylactic mastectomy": a preventive surgery performed to reduce cancer risk, not to treat an existing cancer.
- Due to a strong family history, she chose a prophylactic mastectomy.
Variants and Related Words
- Mastectomies (n): The plural form of mastectomy.
- Advances in technique have improved outcomes for mastectomies.
- Mastectomized (adj): Having undergone a mastectomy. (Note: This term is less common and can be considered clinical or insensitive in casual contexts; "post-mastectomy" is often preferred.)
- The support group is for mastectomized women. (More common: ...for women post-mastectomy.)
Synonyms
- Breast removal surgery: A descriptive synonym.
- Mammectomy: A less common, synonymous medical term.
Related Phrases
- Post-mastectomy: Referring to the period or condition after the surgery.
- Post-mastectomy recovery can take several weeks.
- Skin-sparing mastectomy: A surgical technique that preserves the breast skin for reconstruction.
- She was a candidate for a skin-sparing mastectomy.
- Nipple-sparing mastectomy: A technique that preserves the nipple and areola.
- The nipple-sparing mastectomy allowed for a more natural reconstruction.
Noun
- surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumor