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Glite Dictionary
lumpectomy

lumpectomy

8 6.1
An operation that removes a tumor from the breast while keeping most breast tissue
  • noun
  • /lʌmˈpɛk.tə.mi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lumpectomía
  • In 2005, rock-and-roll artist Etheridge underwent a lumpectomy and five rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate her breast cancer.
  • mastectomy or lumpectomy

It's hard, hard surgery, more surgeries, so just do the lumpectomy.

Examples

  • Lloyd said they want to do a lumpectomy, probably tomorrow.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • A last-minute appointment enabled her to get a lumpectomy the same week she was diagnosed.

    Blog text (34)

  • Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who have a lumpectomy usually have radiation therapy after surgery.

    Blog text (5)

  • Tamika Cook's narrative illustrates this privileging of mastectomy: "I was told I could have a lumpectomy with radiation, but I opted for a mastectomy and breast reconstruction: I just had a really strong urge to cut out the cancer completely."

    Academic text (2013)

  • The doctor explained that a lumpectomy would remove the tumor while preserving most of the breast tissue.

  • After her diagnosis, she decided to undergo a lumpectomy instead of a full mastectomy.

  • The lumpectomy was successful, and she was relieved to hear that no lymph nodes needed to be removed.

Synonyms

mammotomy
vslumpectomy
  • Specialized
8.7

A medical procedure that removes breast tissue for tests or treatment

is more specific, removing a tumor while keeping most surrounding tissue

How Invasive

mastectomy
  • Specialized
28 6.0
lumpectomy
  • Specialized
8 6.1
to biopsy
  • Specialized
9 4.9
needle biopsy
  • Specialized
1 3.5

Surface Forms

lumpectomy singular
lumpectomies plural

Morphology

lumpectomy = lump (semi-transparent) = lump + ectomy

The procedure is clearly based on removing a lump, but the medical suffix '-ectomy' and the specialized surgical sense make it less transparent for average learners.

Etymology

The word lumpectomy combines the plain English lump and the medical ending -ectomy, which means 'cutting out'. So lumpectomy is a surgery to 'cut out' a lump, usually a breast tumor, while leaving most of the breast in place.