How can one tell if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes?
If the cancer has spread, the nearby lymph nodes may be obviously enlarged and felt as firm or hard lumps. These cancerous lymph nodes or metastases may be cut out in a procedure called lymphadenectomy or lymph node dissection. Even if the lymph nodes appear to be normal, the cancer may have already spread to the lymph nodes. So in some cases, patients may be advised to have all draining lymph nodes removed ‘just in case’ they have collected cancer cells. This prophylactic procedure is known as elective lymph node dissection. Unfortunately, removing a group of lymph nodes may lead to serious side effects. This is particularly unfortunate if the lymph nodes turn out to be normal. These side effects include: • Delayed wound healing • Lymphoedema (swelling due an accumulation of lymph) • Injury to nerve fibres, resulting in numbness • Cellulitis (bacterial infection). A biopsy may be advised to remove a single lymph node, or part of it, to see whether the cancer has spread. If there is a
