Lymph Node Surgery
There are two major types: sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node types.
A sentinel lymph node biopsy involves the removal of one to three lymph nodes that drain lymph from the breasts. The sentinel lymph nodes are the touchpoint for cancer that has spread. They are part of the lymph nodes in your armpits. This procedure is done to find out if the cancer has spread from the breasts and helps reduce the risk of potential side effects.
If surgeons discover cancer cells in the sentinel nodes, you may require more extensive. This surgery, called an axillary node dissection, involves the removal of many nodes from the underarm. It has more side effects than a sentinel node biopsy and can be avoided if not needed. Women who have only small traces of cancer in the sentinel lymph nodes may not require an axillary node dissection. [4]