My Breakthrough
Node sampling
Node sampling means taking out at least four lymph nodes from the armpit.
Altogether, there are up to 50 nodes in the armpit. These nodes are then examined under a microscope in the laboratory to see if there are any cancer cells. In some hospitals, surgeons only remove one special node. This is called sentinel node biopsy.
Node sampling helps to tell what stage your breast cancer is and show what treatment would be best for you. If the glands are clear, you probably won't need any more surgery or radiotherapy to your armpit.
If cancer cells are found in the glands, you may have:
There is no evidence that one of these treatments is better in the long term than the other. So you will need to discuss them with your specialist and decide which is best for you.
Node sampling helps to tell what stage your breast cancer is and show what treatment would be best for you. If the glands are clear, you probably won't need any more surgery or radiotherapy to your armpit.
If cancer cells are found in the glands, you may have:
- A course of radiotherapy to destroy any cancer in cells in your armpit.
- Another operation to remove the rest of the lymph nodes in your armpit. (node clearance)
There is no evidence that one of these treatments is better in the long term than the other. So you will need to discuss them with your specialist and decide which is best for you.
