Lumpectomy

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lumpectomy \Lump*ec"to*my\, n. (Med.)
     the removal of a cyst or tumor from the breast by surgery.
     This is one method of treating breast tumors when in an early
     stage, and is preferred for cosmetic reasons, when medically
     feasible, to {radical mastectomy}, the removal of the entire
     breast along with nearby muscles.


     [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  lumpectomy
       n : surgical removal of a tumor without removing much of the
           surrounding tissue or lymph nodes; performed in some
           cases of breast cancer