Glossary
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Sentinel Lymph Node Removal - Also called sentinel lymph node excision. During a sentinel lymph node removal, the doctor removes one or two lymph nodes from under your arm. This is a lighter procedure which most people have. The recovery period after a sentinel lymph node removal is easier than after an axillary lymph node removal surgery.
Sentinel Lymph Node - Search for term
Sentinel Lymph Node - When cancer cells spread from your breast, they first go to a lymph node under your arm. This first lymph node is called the sentinel lymph node. (Sentinel means “the guard” in Latin.)
Side Effects - Search for term
Side Effects - These are unwanted reactions that a patient might have to medications or cancer treatments. They can range from mild to severe. Most side effects can be prevented, controlled or reduced.
Staging - Search for term
Staging - Describes how advanced, or far along, the cancer cells have grown. Knowing the stage of cancer helps your treatment team plan your care.
Slow Wound Healing - Search for term
Slow Wound Healing - During the surgery, the blood vessels that supply your breast tissue are cut. Without enough blood flow to the area of your incision, it may be difficult for your incision site to heal.
Swelling - Search for term
Swelling - Sometimes blood or clear fluid can build up in a certain area of the body (e.g. around your incision after surgery). There are many techniques and strategies (e.g. placement of a Jackson-Pratt drain or exercises after surgery) that are used to treat swelling, if this happens to you.
Steristrips - Search for term
Steristrips - These are small, thin bandages which are used to keep your incision closed until it is fully healed.
Skin Redness - Search for term
Skin Redness - This is a potential side effect of radiotherapy. It is similar to a sunburn. If you have very sensitive skin, you may get blisters. These will not last.
Surgery - Search for term
Surgery - A specialty of medicine where diseases and injuries are treated by using special techniques to make physical changes inside the body. For breast cancer patients, surgery is usually the best and most reliable way of getting rid of the cancer and of making sure that it does not come back. For this reason, it will very likely be part of your treatment plan, and will usually come first before any other treatment.
Systemic - Search for term
Systemic - A treatment is systemic if it goes everywhere in your body. (E.g. chemotherapy)
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