How many nodes will be sampled (removed)?
Each patient is different. An area of fatty tissue under the armpit is removed. This pad of tissue contains varying numbers of nodes in each patient- generally 5-20. It is not known how many nodes are removed until the pathologist dissects the pad of tissues in the laboratory. There are a total of three levels of axillary lymph nodes. Level one nodes refer to nodes below the pectoralis minor muscle. These are the nodes closest to the breast. In a traditional Lymph Node Dissection, level 1 and 2 are removed. Level three nodes are rarely removed in the United States.
