Some surgical treatments for breast cancer involve removal of lymph nodes in the axillary region?
mellymellzzz asked:
Some surgical treatments for breast cancer involve removal of lymph nodes in the axillary region. Why might this have a therapeutic effect in some cases?
Some surgical treatments for breast cancer involve removal of lymph nodes in the axillary region. Why might this have a therapeutic effect in some cases?
Removal of lymphnodes in the armpit (axilla) are not to treat the cancer. The doctor is checking the lymphnodes for signs of cancer which would indicate that the cancer has already potentially spread beyond the breast. This would mean chemotherapy and radiation would also be used for follow up treatment after the surgical area heals. If the lymphnodes come back with no cancer in them, that’s a good sign the disease was caught early and survival rates are good.
Axillary nodes are removed for biopsy to detect cancer spread.
This is more of a diagnostic treatment than a cancer therapy.
However, if the cancer has spread to the nodes, their removal would reduce the chance of further spread as it is reducing the source.