Lymph node removal 'makes no difference to breast cancer survival'
Wednesday 9th February 2011
Lymph node removal may not be required for some patients with breast cancer, a study has shown.
Ninety two per cent of women who have undergone lumpectomies and radiation for early-stage breast cancer that has spread to a lymph node will survive whether or not they have the nodes removed.
According to WebMD, breast cancer surgeon Grant W Carlson said that removing the lymph nodes is seen as a traditional method of fighting cancer.
"That thought probably lasted over 50 years, then we realized that a lot of cancers spread through the bloodstream first, or at the same time as they are spreading through the lymph nodes, and that removing the lymph nodes isn't curative in and of itself," he added.
Meanwhile, scientists at Michigan State University are developing laser microscopes that will be able to deploy rapid pulses to identify molecules, meaning that biopsies could be performed painlessly and efficiently.
Written by Angela Newbury
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