If one node only removed!!! What does it mean?

Danaqtr

Hello,

If during lumpectomy only the sentatial node removed. Does that mean it potentaily the other nodes not affected?

JoE777

My surgeon told me if the sentinel node was clear and I had good margins he would only take one node. None of my nodes lit up and the the path on the one removed was clean

NotVeryBrave

The idea is that if cancer cells have left the breast then they will most likely show up in the first group of lymph node - the "sentinel" nodes. If no cancer is there, it does not guarantee no cancer cells are elsewhere but make it less likely.

gb2115

I think it just means that only one node lit up with the dye/radioactive tracer. The less nodes you have removed, the better, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing that they only took one.