Lumpectomies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surgical procedure that involves the removal of a tumor or lump from the breast while conserving surrounding tissue
2. It typically aims to treat breast cancer by excising localized growths rather than the entire breast
3. This method allows for targeted removal, often followed by further treatments like radiation or chemotherapy

Etymology: This word is an inflected form, the plural of "lumpectomy," so the key history lies in that base word. "Lumpectomy" is a compound built from English "lump" and the combining suffix "-ectomy," which comes from Ancient Greek "ektomē," a noun meaning "a cutting out." That suffix is itself built from "ek," meaning "out," and "temnō," meaning "to cut." Surgeons have used "-ectomy" for centuries to name operations that remove a body part, so "lumpectomy" simply announces that a lump is being cut out.