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Lymph Node Removal Unnecessary

Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have traditionally had their lymph nodes biopsied for signs of cancer. If microscopic tumors have spread to lymph nodes near the breast, oncologists had assumed that this meant the disease had spread and that the lymph nodes should be surgically removed to improve patients’ chances of survival.
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association challenges this assumption. Over 5,000 women with early stage breast cancer were included in the study. Lymph nodes were carefully scrutinized for abnormal cells. The investigators found that invisible cancer cells and lymph node removal did not affect the women’s survival. Because lymph node surgery can lead to serious complications, oncologists are beginning to rethink this routine approach to treating breast cancer.
[JAMA, July 27, 2011]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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