CHECKING EXTENT OF CANCER BEFORE ATTEMPTING POTENTIALLY CURATIVE SURGERY – GENERAL INFORMATION
Once it is concluded that complete removal of the primary cancer growth, together with a margin of apparently normal tissues, is feasible, it is then important to check for any evidence of secondary growths. Lymphatic spread can be looked for by feeling the appropriate lymph node areas if they are close to the surface, or by checking them by special X-rays if they are deep-seated. What follows refers just to the lymph nodes that drain the site of your primary cancer growth. If these lymph nodes are enlarged, the cancer has probably spread to them. However, groups of cancer cells can also be present in normal sized nodes. The only way of being quite sure whether or not a node is involved is to examine it under the microscope. Of course, this can only be done if the node is removed. Therefore, if you have a type of cancer which often spreads through the lymph system, your surgeon will probably recommend removal of the nodes which drain the primary cancer site, even if these nodes are normal in size. Their removal will certainly be recommended if they are enlarged unless they are attached to nearby tissues, such as the overlying skin, indicating that the cancer is not confined within the nodes themselves. Complete removal is rarely possible if this has happened.
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