In this case, your surgeon might remove the lymph nodes closest to the cancer. Sometimes your surgeon doesn't know if there are cancer cells in your lymph nodes before you have surgery.

In this case, the surgeon removes your lymph nodes during your surgery to remove the cancer. It is important to know this to work out the stage of the cancer and plan treatment.īefore your operation, your surgeon might know that there is cancer in your lymph nodes. Your doctor needs to find out if lymph nodes in the neck contain cancer. They are often the first place cancer cells spread to when they break away from a primary cancer. They also trap damaged or harmful cells such as cancer cells. They are part of the lymphatic system that filters body fluid and fights infection. Lymph nodes are small bean shaped glands found throughout the body, including the head and neck area. Why do you need surgery to remove the lymph nodes? The doctor then checks to see if this lymph node contains cancer cells. You might have a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), This is a test to find the first lymph node or nodes that a cancer may spread to. Surgery to remove the lymph nodes in the neck is called a neck dissection. Surgeons don't routinely do a neck dissection on everyone because it can have long term side effects. Surgery to remove the lymph nodes in your neckĬancers of the mouth and oropharynx can spread to lymph nodes in your neck. Your surgeon might remove some or all of the lymph nodes in your neck.

Shotty lymph nodes causes