mastectomy
noun
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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
Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
At the recommendation of her medical team, Munn had a double mastectomy to remove all of the cancer detected and reduce future risk.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
After an ultrasound detected two more tumors in her right breast, which biopsies confirmed to be stage 1 invasive cancer, and another MRI confirmed cancer in the left breast as well, Munn underwent a double mastectomy.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Breast cancer screening:Breast cancer screening should start at age 40 – 10 years earlier than previous advice, group says
What to know about the disease:Olivia Munn, 43, reveals breast cancer, double mastectomy.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The surgery is a total mastectomy on the side of my dominant hand, so all typing would involve stimulation to the surgical area.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
But Vanessa Gonzalez faced their double mastectomy with a calm certainty, and eventually even came to celebrate it.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
The country singer, 29, underwent a preventative double mastectomy last November after testing positive for the RAD51D gene mutation, which according to the Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered advocacy group puts carriers at a 20 to 40 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Actor Olivia Munn said she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy after a mammogram led to the diagnosis.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mastectomy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Mastectomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastectomy. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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mastectomy
noun
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