A member asked:

Why are the lymph nodes in the armpit removed when a person undergoes surgery for breast cancer?

4 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Dr. Reza Shirazi answered

Specializes in Radiation Oncology

Cancer hiding spot: The lymph nodes in the axilla/armpit is usually one of the favorite locations of breast cancer to go to.

Answered 10/12/2013

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Cancer Staging.: The lymph nodes are small filters in the body where cancer cells may spread after breaking out of the organ where the cancer started. Removing the lymph nodes gives us a "window into the rest of the body" to help us decide who may benefit from chemotherapy.

Answered 7/20/2012

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Dr. Travis Kidner answered

Specializes in Surgical Oncology

Metastatsis: The first place that breast cancer will travel is to the lymph nodes in the armpit. A procedure called a sentinel lymph node biopsy removes the first draining lymph node from the breast. If this does not have cancer then we know that most lilkely the cancer has not spread.

Answered 9/28/2016

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