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

Nurse Helen Rosenthal’s (Christina Pickles) season-one breast-cancer diagnosis and mastectomy was something rarely seen or talked about on television at the time, and in season two, St. Elsewhere became the first prime-time series to feature an AIDS patient story. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025

Munn, whose cancer was detected at stage 1, has since had five surgeries, including a lymph node dissection, a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. —Marc Malkin, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025

Munn was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in April 2023 and went public with her health journey in March 2024, having undergone five surgeries including a lymph node dissection, a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. —Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025

By that same time next year, Munn had a nipple delay procedure, lymph node dissection, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2025

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