Why do axillary lymph nodes need to be removed?
The reason lymph nodes are removed is so that they can be studied under the microscope. If there are no cancer cells in the lymph nodes, then the risk of recurrence of breast cancer is much lower than if cancer cells are found. This is important because if no cancer is found in the lymph nodes, then less aggressive treatment is required to control the breast cancer. Patients with breast cancer cells in their lymph nodes will require additional treatment (more extensive surgery, and/or chemotherapy) and may carry a higher rate of recurrence. Lymph node removal also allows as much of the cancer as possible to be removed. This may be important before starting any additional treatment with radiation or chemotherapy. What is axillary node dissection? Axillary node dissection is part of the conventional surgical management of breast cancer. It is commonly performed as part of lumpectomy or mastectomy, and is responsible for most postoperative complaints. Complications of axillary node dissec
