Which surgery is better, a masectomy or lumpectomy? What are the pros and cons of each?

if the tumor is metastatic, then mastectomy is better since all the breast tissue is removed and therefore the chances of recurrence are reduced.

mastectomy -
pros- practically 0 chance of recurrence
- no fear
- peace of mind for the patient
cons - loss of breast may result in low self esteem and depression

lumpectomy-
pros - sustained breast
- reduced chances of depression due to body image problems
cons - higher chances of recurrence.

the better option for an individual also depends on their preferences and age.

Whatever you choose is the best one. A mastectomy is a complete removal of the breast, a lumpectomy is the removal of the actual tumour and some surrounding tissue.
Asking your surgeon what the pros and cons are of each is a good idea, they would know better judging by the tumour size, etc.

Bummer question. The best to go with is what the Doctor recommends. If the surgeon is sure he can get all the cancer with a healthy margin around it, then the lumpectomy is OK. A mastectomy is just to lop the entire breast off, lymph nodes and all, for more severe cancers and to ensure NO nasty little cancer cell has broken away, to reproduce at a later time somewhere else in the body.
It's a horrible sad thing, breast cancer, but rest assured the two most curable cancers are breast and testicular, because these parts are outside of the body.
There is reconstructive surgery available for complete mastectomies, and while the entire recovering may take some time, in the end, things should be quite normal.
Personally, I would say, take it all off, get this evil destroyer out of my body. I'll think about reconstruction later. I'm just HAPPY to be alive!!!
God be with you, your chances sound excellent.

It depends on the size of the tumor and the age of the patient. The percentage of recurrence of cancer in women is about equal between lumpectomy and mastectomy. The lumpectomy requires radiation treatments following surgery, the mastectomy does not. Generally both have chemo before surgery. Breast reconstruction is required for both and usually the appearance will be the same as before the procedure while wearing clothes.