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
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Six weeks after undergoing a mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis, Jessie J was admitted to the hospital once again to address her ongoing complications.
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Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2025
However, Thurston expressed her frustration with having to go through a mastectomy in the first place.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 29 July 2025
Tom Dilworth Wauwatosa, Wis. I was diagnosed as having an aggressive form of breast cancer in April, 2024, and underwent a bilateral mastectomy that September.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
The cancer was found in both of her breasts, and Munn’s treatment included a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
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Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2025
However, Thurston expressed her frustration with having to go through a mastectomy in the first place.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 29 July 2025
Tom Dilworth Wauwatosa, Wis. I was diagnosed as having an aggressive form of breast cancer in April, 2024, and underwent a bilateral mastectomy that September.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
The cancer was found in both of her breasts, and Munn’s treatment included a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastectomy
Cite this Entry
“Mastectomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastectomy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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