Breast Cancer Surgery

The surgeons and staff at Torrance Memorial’s Hunt Cancer Institute offer each breast cancer patient a personalized treatment plan that combines the most advanced surgical techniques with warmth and compassion for each individual. Our surgeons use the latest technology to reduce the need for multiple surgeries and minimize trauma and disruption.

Our surgeons perform a full range of breast cancer surgeries, including:

• Surgical Biopsy: The use of a needle to remove a sample of breast tissue for testing.
• Lumpectomy: Also known as breast-conserving surgery, this procedure removes the tumor and a small amount of the surrounding tissue.
• Mastectomy: Removal of all or part of the breast and sometimes some of the lymph nodes and muscles.
• Nipple and Skin-Sparing Mastectomy: During which all or some of the breast tissue, the nipple and the areola are removed but the rest of the breast skin is preserved.
• Breast Reconstruction: The creation of a natural-looking breast following breast cancer surgery.

Our Technology

Our surgeons combine their years of experience in breast care with state-of-the-art technology to deliver the best surgical results. Our technology includes:

• MarginProbe®: A device used during a lumpectomy to help the surgeon determine whether the breast tissue surrounding the tumor site is cancer-free. Because this information is available to the surgeon within minutes, breast cancer patients are less likely to require a second surgery.
• Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping: A test used in conjunction with surgical biopsy in which a small, safe amount of radioactive material is injected into the breast and helps the surgeon identify the lymph nodes so they can be tested to determine if the cancer has spread.

Meet Our Breast Surgeons

Rashaan Ali-Jones, MD, FACS - Co-Director

Dr. Rashaan Ali-Jones completed her general surgery residency training at Mount-Sinai Medical Center in New York City. During her residency at Mount Sinai, she trained with world renowned surgeons in minimally invasive and colorectal surgery, with an emphasis in inflammatory bowel disease. She is board certified with the American Board of Surgery and is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Ali-Jones is a native of the South Bay and enjoys serving our community. She was recruited to join the Association of South Bay Surgeons in 2008. Dr. Ali-Jones enjoys all aspects of general surgery, and has special interest in breast, advanced laparoscopic and colorectal surgery.

Learn More

Melanie Friedlander, MD, FACS - Co-Director

Dr. Melanie Friedlander is the Co-Director of Breast Surgery for the Association of South Bay Surgeons. She was also selected to lead the Breast Surgery Program at the Hunt Cancer Institute of Torrance Memorial Medical Center, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate.

Her practice focuses on providing the highest quality surgical care for patients with breast cancer and benign problems. She applies that compassion and dedication as well as a minimally invasive approach to thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy, and through robotic and laparoscopic surgery for hernias, adrenal masses, colon problems, and gallbladder disease. She combines her experience as a Clinical Instructor at USC with her personal attention to provide academic expertise and a concierge approach. Dr. Friedlander is proud to be designated a "Super Doctor" by her peers in Los Angeles, but her greatest joy is helping her patients through a difficult time.

Learn More

Recognized as a Breast Center of Excellence

The Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Breast Diagnostic Center is fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and is held to the highest standards of care for patients with diseases of the breast.