Most breast cancer treatments require some combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Mastectomy refers to the surgical removal of the breast, but not necessarily the whole breast.

In the past, radical mastectomy was the most common treatment for breast cancer. The entire breast was removed during this procedure. Advancements in surgical techniques, and in our knowledge of breast cancer, now allow us to preserve healthy tissue in many patients.

A preventive mastectomy is an option for women to dramatically reduce their chance of getting breast cancer. The surgical procedure removes all breast tissue found in one or both breasts before any breast cancer has been detected.

Although thousands of women face this decision every year, Angelina Jolie’s recent preventive mastectomy personal story captured the hearts imagination of the media, public and numerous breast cancer advocacy organizations. Her story will hopefully lead women to inquire about their personal risk of developing breast cancer.