Definition

A surgical procedure to remove a tumor from the breast while preserving as much surrounding healthy tissue as possible.

Example

After her diagnosis, she decided to undergo a lumpectomy to treat her breast cancer.

Conversation

I heard you had a lumpectomy recently; how did it go?

It went pretty well, actually. The doctors were really supportive.

That's great to hear! Were you nervous about the lumpectomy?

A little, but knowing it was a minor procedure helped ease my mind.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Lumpectomy is formed from "lumpe" (from Latin *lumpectus*, meaning a small mass or lump) and "-ectomy" (from Greek *ektomē*, meaning excision or removal). The word describes the surgical removal of a lump, particularly in breast tissue.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'lump' being 'removed' — 'lumpe' refers to the lump, and '-ectomy' means to cut out or excise.

Visually Confused Words