If a woman is being treated for breast cancer, are her breasts most often removed?

Not necessarily: Whether or not a mastectomy is recommended depends on many factors to include breast cancer type and stage.

No: We surgeons work very hard to preserve a woman's breasts. The standard of care for an early stage breast cancer is a lumpectomy, which means removal of the cancer with preservation of the rest of the breast, followed by radiation treatment and possible adjuvant hormonal therapy.