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Breast Cancer/oval mass in right axillary region

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Expert: - 9/8/2006


Question
My mother went to the doctor and and here is what they wrote following an ultrasound.

"Clinical Info: right axillary mass. Additional spot films and ultrasound of the right axillary mass were performed. A sharply circumscribed, oval mass is seen high in the right axillar region. The mass is extremely vascular with a color flow. This is presumed to reflect an enlarged lymph node."

I'm guessing that excisional biopsy would be neccessary. However is there a simpler way to explain what the doctor wrote? What's recommended as treatment and is it considered a cancer? Thank you for any information.

Answer
What is seen is an enlarged lymph node according to the report. Why it is enlarged can not be determined from the report. An easy way to find out if it is due to a malignant process (some kind of cancer including lymphomas) is to do a thin needle aspiration biopsy. If no cancer is found and the biopsy is otherwise inconclusive and it is still necessary or preferable to know why it is enlarged a surgical biopsy would be needed. In this case I do indeed recommend some sort of biopsy, the easiest to do would be the thin needle kind.  

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

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I`m a doctor of medicine and a specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have long experience in diagnostics and treatment of breast tumours.

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I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy educated & trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps.You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 I have no restrictions on the number of questions there.

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