Is it permissible for my 52-year-old mother, who has a malignant breast mass and suffers from neck vertebrae pain due to an old accident, to undergo breast reduction surgery, especially since the doctor suggested reducing its size while removing the tumor, and will perform surgery on the other breast to make it the same size after 6 months?

The fundamental principle regarding cosmetic surgery is prohibition, unless it serves a therapeutic purpose, removes a disfiguring defect, or restores something to its normal appearance. Breast reduction is permissible if it causes pain, illness, or a disfiguring defect; otherwise, it is not. The resolution of the Islamic Fiqh Academy explicitly permits breast reshaping if its size leads to a pathological condition. However, performing breast reduction surgery without a valid justification remains within the realm of prohibition, and one must seek forgiveness for what has occurred. A second operation on a healthy breast is not permissible unless the disparity between the breasts constitutes a disfiguring defect, or if it is proven that the weight of one of them causes neck pain or other illnesses.