mastectomy

noun

mas·​tec·​to·​my ma-ˈstek-tə-mē 

plural mastectomies

: surgical removal of all or part of the breast and sometimes associated lymph nodes and muscles

Did you know?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Early cases can often be treated with drugs or with a small operation called a lumpectomy (because it removes a lump). Though a "simple mastectomy" is larger than a lumpectomy, it allows the breast to be reconstructed, using artificial implants or tissue from elsewhere on the body. But "radical mastectomy", which is required when the cancer is at an advanced stage, takes much of the chest muscle and makes reconstruction impossible.

Examples of mastectomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But some women ended up needing additional surgeries and even mastectomies to remove the breast to resolve the harms caused by BioZorb. —Annika Inampudi, Fortune, 17 June 2026

Jolie herself has had a double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene. —Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 17 June 2026

Patients may need to decide between breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy, consider reconstruction options, evaluate radiation recommendations, or determine whether endocrine therapy, chemotherapy or additional testing is appropriate. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026

The former reality star underwent a nipple-sparing double mastectomy with direct-to-implant reconstruction on April 29. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek mastos breast + English -ectomy

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mastectomy

• colectomy
• cystectomy
• gastrectomy
• lobectomy
• nephrectomy
• splenectomy
• thymectomy
• vasectomy
• vitrectomy
• adrenalectomy
• cholecystectomy
• endarterectomy

Medical Definition

mastectomy

noun

mas·​tec·​to·​my ma-ˈstek-tə-mē 

plural mastectomies

: surgical removal of all or part of the breast and sometimes associated lymph nodes and muscles see modified radical mastectomy, partial mastectomy, radical mastectomy, simple mastectomy