modified radical mastectomy
Noun: A surgical procedure for the treatment of breast cancer. It involves the removal of the entire breast (including the nipple, areola, and most breast tissue) and the removal of some, but not all, of the lymph nodes in the adjacent underarm area (axilla). The pectoralis major chest muscle is left intact, unlike in a radical mastectomy.
This term is used in medical contexts, specifically in oncology and surgical reports, to describe a specific type of breast cancer surgery. * The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy followed by radiation therapy. * Compared to a radical mastectomy, a modified radical mastectomy is less disfiguring as it preserves the pectoralis major muscle. * The surgeon recommended a modified radical mastectomy to remove the tumor and check the nearby lymph nodes for cancer spread.
- The procedure is often abbreviated as MRM in clinical notes and medical literature.
- It is considered a standard surgical option when breast-conserving surgery (like a lumpectomy) is not advisable, but the cancer has not extensively invaded the chest wall muscles.
- Mastectomy (n): The general surgical removal of a breast.
- Radical mastectomy (n): A more extensive historical procedure that removes the breast, both pectoral muscles (major and minor), and axillary lymph nodes.
- Simple mastectomy (n): Removal of the breast tissue only, without removal of lymph nodes.
- Lumpectomy (n): A breast-conserving surgery that removes only the tumor and a small margin of surrounding tissue.
- MRM (n): The standard acronym.
- Total mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection (n): A more descriptive term for the same procedure.
- Axillary lymph node dissection: The part of the procedure involving the removal of lymph nodes from the armpit.
- Post-mastectomy reconstruction: Surgical rebuilding of the breast shape after a mastectomy.
- removal of a breast and the pectoralis minor and some lymph nodes in the adjacent armpit