Lymphadenectomy

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Lymphadenectomy
Lymph node NPC.jpg
Other namesLymph node dissection
ICD-9-CM 40.2-40.5

Lymphadenectomy, or lymph node dissection, is the surgical removal of one or more groups of lymph nodes. [1] It is almost always performed as part of the surgical management of cancer. In a regional lymph node dissection, some of the lymph nodes in the tumor area are removed; in a radical lymph node dissection, most or all of the lymph nodes in the tumor area are removed. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Indications

It is usually done because many types of cancer have a marked tendency to produce lymph node metastasis early in their natural histories. This is particularly true of melanoma, head and neck cancer, differentiated thyroid cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. Famed British surgeon Berkeley Moynihan once remarked that "the surgery of cancer is not the surgery of organs; it is the surgery of the lymphatic system."[ citation needed ]

The better-known examples of lymphadenectomy are axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer; radical neck dissection for head and neck cancer and thyroid cancer; D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer; and total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.[ citation needed ]

With sentinel node biopsy

For clinical stages I and II breast cancer, axillary lymph node dissection should only be performed after first attempting a sentinel node biopsy. [5] A sentinel node biopsy can establish cancer staging of the axilla if there are positive lymph nodes present. [5] It is also less risky than performing a lymphadenectomy, having fewer side effects and a much lower chance of causing lymphedema. [5] If cancer is not present in the sentinel lymph nodes, then the axillary lymph node dissection should not be performed. [5]

If one or two sentinel nodes have cancer that is not extensive, then no axillary dissection should be performed, but the person with cancer should have breast-conserving surgery and chemotherapy appropriate for their stage of cancer. [5]

Complications

Lymphedema may result from lymphadenectomy. Extensive resection of lymphatic tissue can lead to the formation of a lymphocele.[ citation needed ]

It is uncertain whether inserting wound drainage after groin lymph nodes dissection can reduce complications such as seroma, haematoma, wound dehiscence, and wound infection. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymphedema</span> Medical condition

Lymphedema, also known as lymphoedema and lymphatic edema, is a condition of localized swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. The lymphatic system functions as a critical portion of the body's immune system and returns interstitial fluid to the bloodstream. Lymphedema is most frequently a complication of cancer treatment or parasitic infections, but it can also be seen in a number of genetic disorders. Though incurable and progressive, a number of treatments may improve symptoms. Tissues with lymphedema are at high risk of infection because the lymphatic system has been compromised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mastectomy</span> Surgical removal of one or both breasts

Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation as a preventive measure. Alternatively, some women can choose to have a wide local excision, also known as a lumpectomy, an operation in which a small volume of breast tissue containing the tumor and a surrounding margin of healthy tissue is removed to conserve the breast. Both mastectomy and lumpectomy are referred to as "local therapies" for breast cancer, targeting the area of the tumor, as opposed to systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or immunotherapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymph node</span> Organ of the lymphatic system

A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that include B and T cells. Lymph nodes are important for the proper functioning of the immune system, acting as filters for foreign particles including cancer cells, but have no detoxification function.

This is a list of terms related to oncology. The original source for this list was the US National Cancer Institute's public domain Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neck dissection</span> Surgical procedure

The neck dissection is a surgical procedure for control of neck lymph node metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck. The aim of the procedure is to remove lymph nodes from one side of the neck into which cancer cells may have migrated. Metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma into the lymph nodes of the neck reduce survival and is the most important factor in the spread of the disease. The metastases may originate from SCC of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the oral cavity, tongue, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx, as well as the thyroid, parotid and posterior scalp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumpectomy</span> Limited surgical removal of breast tissue

Lumpectomy is a surgical removal of a discrete portion or "lump" of breast tissue, usually in the treatment of a malignant tumor or breast cancer. It is considered a viable breast conservation therapy, as the amount of tissue removed is limited compared to a full-breast mastectomy, and thus may have physical and emotional advantages over more disfiguring treatment. Sometimes a lumpectomy may be used to either confirm or rule out that cancer has actually been detected. A lumpectomy is usually recommended to patients whose cancer has been detected early and who do not have enlarged tumors. Although a lumpectomy is used to allow for most of the breast to remain intact, the procedure may result in adverse affects that can include sensitivity and result in scar tissue, pain, and possible disfiguration of the breast if the lump taken out is significant. According to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, lumpectomy may be performed for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive ductal carcinoma, or other conditions.

Lymph node biopsy is a test in which a lymph node or a piece of a lymph node is removed for examination under a microscope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel lymph node</span> First lymph node to receive drainage from a primary tumor

The sentinel lymph node is the hypothetical first lymph node or group of nodes draining a cancer. In case of established cancerous dissemination it is postulated that the sentinel lymph nodes are the target organs primarily reached by metastasizing cancer cells from the tumor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radical mastectomy</span> Removal of cancerous breast

Radical mastectomy is a surgical procedure that treats breast cancer by removing the breast and its underlying chest muscle, and lymph nodes of the axilla (armpit). Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. During the early twentieth century it was primarily treated by surgery, when the mastectomy was developed. However, with the advancement of technology and surgical skills in recent years, mastectomies have become less invasive. As of 2016, a combination of radiotherapy and breast conserving mastectomy are considered optimal treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axillary lymph nodes</span> Lymph nodes in the human armpit

The axillary lymph nodes or armpit lymph nodes are lymph nodes in the human armpit. Between 20 and 49 in number, they drain lymph vessels from the lateral quadrants of the breast, the superficial lymph vessels from thin walls of the chest and the abdomen above the level of the navel, and the vessels from the upper limb. They are divided in several groups according to their location in the armpit. These lymph nodes are clinically significant in breast cancer, and metastases from the breast to the axillary lymph nodes are considered in the staging of the disease.

A micrometastasis is a small collection of cancer cells that has been shed from the original tumor and spread to another part of the body through the lymphovascular system. Micrometastases are too few, in size and quantity, to be picked up in a screening or diagnostic test, and therefore cannot be seen with imaging tests such as a mammogram, MRI, ultrasound, PET, or CT scans. These migrant cancer cells may group together to form a second tumor, which is so small that it can only be seen under a microscope. Approximately ninety percent of people who die from cancer die from metastatic disease, since these cells are so challenging to detect. It is important for these cancer cells to be treated immediately after discovery, in order to prevent the relapse and the likely death of the patient.

Breast cancer management takes different approaches depending on physical and biological characteristics of the disease, as well as the age, over-all health and personal preferences of the patient. Treatment types can be classified into local therapy and systemic treatment. Local therapy is most efficacious in early stage breast cancer, while systemic therapy is generally justified in advanced and metastatic disease, or in diseases with specific phenotypes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast-conserving surgery</span> Surgical operation

Breast-conserving surgery refers to an operation that aims to remove breast cancer while avoiding a mastectomy. Different forms of this operation include: lumpectomy (tylectomy), wide local excision, segmental resection, and quadrantectomy. Breast-conserving surgery has been increasingly accepted as an alternative to mastectomy in specific patients, as it provides tumor removal while maintaining an acceptable cosmetic outcome. This page reviews the history of this operation, important considerations in decision making and patient selection, and the emerging field of oncoplastic breast conservation surgery.

Breast surgery is a form of surgery performed on the breast.

An inuinofemoral lymphadenectomy is one surgical treatment to remove inguinofemoral lymph node metastases involving at least three lymph nodes. Because gynecological cancers metastasize to the inguinofemoral lymph nodes this is the area of most concern for initial treatment. The malignancy spreads from the lymph node to the vulva, clitoris, and Bartholin glands, but the removal of the lymph nodes has a higher priority over the immediate removal of a small, localized tumor. Complications can arise and include: delayed wound healing, development of lymphoceles, bleeding, blood clot formation, and decreased sensation on the inside of the thigh probably caused by injury of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisa Rush Port</span> American surgery professor

Elisa Rush Port FACS is Associate Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as cofounder and director of the Dubin Breast Center at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai Health System, since 2010. She has received four research grants, has served as an investigator or co-investigator on 15 clinical trials, published 44 peer-reviewed articles, and published a total of 12 book chapters and books. She has specialized in sentinel-node biopsy, a diagnostic method that determines cancer stages based on spread to regional lymph nodes, nipple sparing mastectomy, and the use of MRI for breast cancer.

Axillary dissection is a surgical procedure that incises the axilla, usually in order to identify, examine, or take out lymph nodes. The term "axilla" refers to the armpit or underarm section of the body. The axillary dissection procedure is commonly used in treating the underarm portion of women who are dealing with breast cancer. The lymph nodes located in the axilla area that are affected by breast cancer are called the guardian or sentinel lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are essential to the lymphatic/immune system due to their main function of filtering unrecognized particles and molecules. The idea of treating breast cancer with the axillary dissection procedure was introduced in the 18th century and was backed by German physician Lorenz Heister. There are certain criteria that make patients eligible candidates for this procedure. Patients tend to have three different levels of axillary lymph nodes; the level helps to determine whether or not the patient should undergo axillary dissection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandeep Nayak</span>

Sandeep Nayak is an Indian surgical oncologist based in Bangalore, India, known as the pioneer of robotic thyroidectomy technique called RABIT and Minimally Invasive Neck Dissection. He is the founder of MACS Clinic, Bangalore. He is the Senior Director and the Head of Department of surgical oncology at Fortis Hospital, Bangalore. Nayak was recipient of the KS International Innovation Award for his technique of RIA-MIND andTimes Health Excellence Award for 2018 by The Times of India. Nayak is the member of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has previously held the position of the assistant professor at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology from 2012 to 2017. Nayak has been constantly ranked among the top oncologists in India

Anne Louise Rosenberg is an American surgical oncologist retired from practice in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armando E. Giuliano</span> American surgical oncologist

Armando Elario Giuliano is a surgical oncologist, surgeon scientist and medical professor in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. He is the Linda and Jim Lippman Chair in Surgical Oncology and co-director of Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.

References

  1. Wagman LD. "Principles of Surgical Oncology" in Pazdur R, Wagman LD, Camphausen KA, Hoskins WJ (Eds) Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach. 11 ed. 2008.
  2. "Lymph node dissection". NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  3. "Lymphadenectomy". NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  4. "Radical lymph node dissection". NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 American College of Surgeons (September 2013), "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question", Choosing Wisely: an initiative of the ABIM Foundation , American College of Surgeons, retrieved 2 January 2013, which cites various primary research studies.
  6. Thomson, David R; Sadideen, Hazim; Furniss, Dominic (2014-01-20), The Cochrane Collaboration (ed.), "Wound drainage following groin dissection for malignant disease in adults", Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (11): CD010933, doi:10.1002/14651858.cd010933.pub2, PMID   25387103 , retrieved 2020-07-11

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from Dictionary of Cancer Terms. U.S. National Cancer Institute.