How will my surgeon evaluate the lymph nodes to look for cancer cells?
Knowing whether or not cancer cells have traveled from the breast to the lymph nodes is very important. Below are some ways your surgeon will evaluate the lymph nodes. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) of a Lymph Node A needle is inserted into a lymph node that feels enlarged or abnormal. Cells are withdrawn and looked at under a microscope so see if they are malignant, or cancerous. If physical examination and imaging have not revealed a suspicious lymph node, this procedure is not routinely performed. The FNA procedure is done in the surgeon’s or radiologist’s office on an outpatient basis, and takes only a few minutes to perform. If cancer cells are found in the lymph node, further evaluation of the remaining axillary lymph nodes will be required. Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection In this operation, your surgeon removes only the “sentinel” nodes. These are the nodes that are the first to receive and harbor cancer cells. Usually between one and four lymph nodes are removed with this procedur
