Most breast cancer patients need surgery to remove the cancer. If a tumor is small, a lumpectomy (which removes the tumor and a thin surrounding layer of healthy breast tissue) may be sufficient. With larger or more extensive cancers, a surgeon may need to remove more or all of the breast and possibly one or more nearby lymph nodes.
Some women decide to have reconstructive breast surgery at the same time as their cancer surgery or afterward. The breast tissue can be replaced with the woman's own tissue (removed from elsewhere in the body) or with a saline or silicone implant.

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