Breast cancer shock

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Breast cancer shock as study finds radical surgery to remove lymph nodes 'has no effect'

Women with early breast cancer may not need to have radical surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes under the armpit, U.S. researchers say.

The finding may spare tens of thousands of women the pain and years of side effects related to the common procedure.

Researchers, led by Armando Giuliano of Saint John's Health Center, analysed two procedures in 850 women with invasive breast cancer who had their tumors removed and underwent radiation and chemotherapy.They found women with breast cancer who only had their sentinel lymph node removed - the one closest to the cancer - survived just as long as women who had more extensive surgery to remove lymph nodes in the armpit.

Removing cancerous lymph nodes may not be necessary because the radiation and chemotherapy attacks cancers in the lymph nodes before they have time to spread, the team said.

They noted that removing lymph nodes from the armpit 'carries an indisputable and often unacceptable risk of complications,' including infection and chronic and painful swelling of the arm.