Definition:
breast-conserving surgery (brest-kun-SER-ving SER-juh-ree)
An operation to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it, but not the breast itself. Some lymph nodes under the arm may be removed for biopsy. Part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it. Also called breast-sparing surgery, lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, quadrantectomy, and segmental mastectomy.
Enlarge Breast-conserving surgery; the drawing on the left shows removal of the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it. The drawing on the right shows removal of some of the lymph nodes under the arm and removal of the tumor and part of the chest wall lining near the tumor. Also shown, is fatty tissue.

Breast-conserving surgery. The tumor and some normal tissue around it are removed, but not the breast itself. Some lymph nodes under the arm may be removed. Part of the chest wall lining may also be removed if the cancer is near it.