In the past,radical procedures,which involved removal of the affected breast and all axillary and thoracic lymph nodes,were used to treat breast cancer.These procedures did not significantly lower mortality.What factor(s)may have contributed to mortality after these procedures?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Breast cancer may be a systemic condition at the time of diagnosis (History box).Distant metastases may have already occurred without adjacent lymph node involvement at the time of its palpable detection.External physical changes,such as dimpling of the skin,can also indicate the presence of a benign or malignant pathologic process.The older the patient,the more likely it is that a mass is malignant.The most common form of breast cancer is infiltrating ductal carcinoma.The cause of breast cancer remains unknown.The belief that breast cancer spreads by direct extension from its initial site in the breast to adjacent lymph nodes may not always be correct.This could explain why radical breast surgery of the past,which involved removal of the affected breast and all axillary and thoracic lymph nodes,did not greatly lower mortality.Tumor size can usually be correlated with involvement of lymph nodes.The larger a tumor is,the more likely it is that lymph nodes are involved.

In the Past,radical Procedures,which Involved Removal of the Affected Breast