When women with breast cancer undergo surgery to remove the

Last updated: 8/3/2022

When women with breast cancer undergo surgery to remove the tumor or the entire breast, the axillary lymph nodes are often removed as well. Why? It is impossible to remove the breast without physically damaging the lymph nodes The nerves that supply the axillary lymph nodes are often cut during the breast surgery In removing the breast, the blood supply to the nodes is removed and they will inevitably cease to function The axillary lymph nodes receive lymph from the breast and may contain cancer cells With the removal of the breast, there is no further need for lymph drainage and filtering in that part of the body