The lymphatic system of our body is responsible for returning the excess fluid from our body tissues to the circulatory system and defending the body against foreign harmful substances like bacteria, viruses, and cancerous cells. It plays an important role in spreading the cancer cells to different parts or organs of the body. Lymph node removal or lymphadenectomy is done to check for the presence of cancer. It is a common process used in surgical oncology in Siliguri to check if the patients have cancer or if it is being spread in the body or not.
Table of content:
1. What is Lymphadenectomy?
2. Why is it done?
3. About the procedure
What is Lymphadenectomy?
Lymphadenectomy is also known as lymph node dissection is a surgical procedure in which one or more lymph nodes or a group of them is removed and then evaluated for the presence of cancer. It is important to know if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
After the removal of the lymph nodes, a sample tissue is checked under the microscope for signs of cancer. For a regional lymphadenectomy, some of the lymph nodes in the tumor region are removed. In a radical lymphadenectomy most or all the lymph nodes from the tumor region are removed.
Why is it done?
Lymph nodes may be responsible for carrying the cancer roles to different parts of the body. Cancer cells may break away from the primary site of the tumor and travel through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system to the various parts of the body. This is most common in breast cancer, melanoma, head and neck cancer, and thyroid cancer. Cancer cells from these tumors can start growing in different sites or in lymph nodes which is a process known as metastasis. Removal of lymph nodes enables doctors to determine if cancer has begun to metastasize. A lymph node removal also prevents the abnormal cancer cells from spreading further.
Patients who have an involved lymph node system can have cancer in other lymph nodes. In this case, more aggressive treatment is required. Surgical oncology in Siliguri conducts a selective or complete lymphadenectomy in such cases which means that some or all the regional lymph nodes are removed and checked for cancer to prevent the further metastasis of the tumor to regional or distant parts of the body.
About the procedure
A lymph node removal is performed under general anesthesia. An incision is made in the skin above the area of the affected lymph nodes. The lymph nodes, the nearby lymphatic tissue and some underlying soft tissues are then removed and evaluated. Surgical oncology in Siliguri is done by experts under utmost care and with good results.
