Swollen lymph nodes in chest: Symptoms, causes, and more

Usually, chest lymph nodes are too deep in the chest for a person to feel them. In most cases, swollen lymph nodes in the chest appear on imaging scans. Swelling can indicate an underlying condition.

The lymph nodes sometimes swell when fighting an infection. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is the medical term for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.

The lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, which helps protect the body from disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria.

Along the collarbone, it may be possible for a person to feel swollen lymph nodes. These lymph nodes may swell when there is an infection, especially in nearby areas such as the breasts or throat.

Swollen lymph nodes can signal a serious underlying condition, such as cancer or an infection. Lymph nodes can also swell for no apparent reason.

In this article, we look at the possible causes of swollen lymph nodes in the chest and their treatments.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and it helps filter out harmful materials, such as infections or cancer cells. It includes a network of vessels, similar to blood vessels, connecting the many different lymph nodes.

These small nodes sometimes swell when the body is filtering out something harmful. They can also swell for no apparent reason, either because of chronic health issues or due to lymph node diseases, such as Kikuchi disease.

Swollen lymph nodes may occur in a single location or throughout the body. The site of the swelling often provides clues to the source of the problem.

For example, a person with a swollen lymph node in the neck might have a tooth abscess or strep throat.

Swollen lymph nodes in the chest often mean a person has a serious underlying medical condition. Some potential causes include:

• Lung cancer: Swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and in the chest may mean that a person has lung cancer or that lung cancer is spreading to other areas of the body.
• Lymphoma: Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. It can affect lymph nodes anywhere in the body and may begin in the chest or spread to the chest from other lymph nodes.
• Sarcoidosis: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can damage the lungs. A 2019 study found that it was one of the most common noncancerous reasons for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.
• Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a serious infection that affects the lungs and may spread elsewhere in the body. It can cause swollen lymph nodes.
• Other infections: Other infections, especially those that affect the lungs, may cause swollen lymph nodes. Examples include bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, such as pneumonia, HIV, histoplasmosis, and toxoplasmosis, respectively. However, mononucleosis, a viral infection, rarely causes the lymph nodes in the chest to swell.
• Other causes: Other serious health issues, such as heart failure or interstitial lung disease, can sometimes cause swollen chest lymph nodes.

In a 2019 study, of the 1,075 people who underwent an endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) to diagnose swollen chest lymph nodes, cancer was the most common reason for the swollen chest lymph nodes, with 61.6% having some form of this disease.

Except for the lymph nodes above the collarbone, the lymph nodes in the chest are so deep that a person cannot feel them.

Most are located around organs and behind bones or other large structures. Many are behind the breastbone in the pleural space, which is the tissue lining the chest and surrounding the lungs.

Others surround the main veins and arteries of the heart. For example, the para-aortic lymph nodes lie on the front and the back of the ascending aorta and aortic arch.

As it is not possible to feel the lymph nodes deep in the chest by pushing on the skin, a person will require an imaging scan to determine whether they are swollen.

It is not possible to feel the mediastinal lymph nodes, which are deep in the chest. Other chest lymph nodes are also typically too deep to feel. Doctors usually only notice swelling in these lymph nodes on an imaging scan.

However, a person may feel some lymph nodes around the chest, such as the lymph nodes above the collarbone.

Swollen chest lymph nodes can cause symptoms such as chest pressure and fullness, so a doctor may suspect that either the lymph nodes are swollen or a person has an underlying disease.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest may also experience swollen lymph nodes elsewhere, such as in the armpits, groin, or neck.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest might not notice any symptoms. However, the swollen lymph nodes sometimes push on organs or other structures, which may cause pain.

An underlying illness can cause swollen lymph nodes along with other symptoms such as:

• feeling sick or weak
• fever
• cough or trouble breathing
• swollen lymph nodes elsewhere in the body
• unexplained weight loss
• night sweats
• pressure in the chest

Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic system or lymph nodes. It can begin in the lymph nodes of the chest or travel to these lymph nodes from other parts of the lymphatic system.

Other cancers, such as lung cancer, may also spread, affecting nearby lymph nodes.

Although a biopsy of the lymph nodes is the only way to diagnose cancer, a doctor may also recommend blood work and imaging scans to evaluate the source of the swollen chest lymph nodes.

The type of cancer a person has, where it began, and whether it has spread to other areas help determine the outlook. For instance, the overall 5-year relative survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 72%.

The treatment for swollen chest lymph nodes depends on the cause. Some options include:

• Infection treatment: Antibiotics can treat many infections, including tuberculosis. Fungal infections may require antifungal treatment, while some infections, such as viral pneumonia, respond well to supportive therapy. Supportive therapy means that a doctor monitors the person and treats their symptoms, such as with IV fluids and observation in the hospital.
• Cancer treatment: The right cancer treatment depends on the cancer, but usually includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. A surgeon may remove the cancerous lymph nodes or recommend surgery to remove cancer in other areas of the body.
• Immunosuppressive therapy: Treatment for an immune-mediated disease such as sarcoidosis includes corticosteroids and immune therapy.
• Medication: As some medications can cause lymph nodes to swell, a doctor may recommend switching medications.

Finding swollen chest lymph nodes can be scary, especially if they accompany other symptoms. A doctor will perform other tests to determine the reason for the swelling and offer advice about treatment options.

Even a very serious diagnosis, such as cancer, often responds well to treatment, especially in the early stages. Furthermore, antibiotics can often completely cure infections, such as tuberculosis.

People who experience chest pain or pressure, breathing difficulties, or other symptoms of swollen chest lymph nodes should see a doctor as quickly as possible.

The doctor will likely ask for a log of all of the symptoms a person experiences, including when the symptoms first appeared. They will also ask the person about their medical history.

Swollen lymph nodes in chest: Symptoms, causes, and more

Usually, chest lymph nodes are too deep in the chest for a person to feel them. In most cases, swollen lymph nodes in the chest appear on imaging scans. Swelling can indicate an underlying condition.

The lymph nodes sometimes swell when fighting an infection. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is the medical term for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.

The lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, which helps protect the body from disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria.

Along the collarbone, it may be possible for a person to feel swollen lymph nodes. These lymph nodes may swell when there is an infection, especially in nearby areas such as the breasts or throat.

Swollen lymph nodes can signal a serious underlying condition, such as cancer or an infection. Lymph nodes can also swell for no apparent reason.

In this article, we look at the possible causes of swollen lymph nodes in the chest and their treatments.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and it helps filter out harmful materials, such as infections or cancer cells. It includes a network of vessels, similar to blood vessels, connecting the many different lymph nodes.

These small nodes sometimes swell when the body is filtering out something harmful. They can also swell for no apparent reason, either because of chronic health issues or due to lymph node diseases, such as Kikuchi disease.

Swollen lymph nodes may occur in a single location or throughout the body. The site of the swelling often provides clues to the source of the problem.

For example, a person with a swollen lymph node in the neck might have a tooth abscess or strep throat.

Swollen lymph nodes in the chest often mean a person has a serious underlying medical condition. Some potential causes include:

• Lung cancer: Swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and in the chest may mean that a person has lung cancer or that lung cancer is spreading to other areas of the body.
• Lymphoma: Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. It can affect lymph nodes anywhere in the body and may begin in the chest or spread to the chest from other lymph nodes.
• Sarcoidosis: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can damage the lungs. A 2019 study found that it was one of the most common noncancerous reasons for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.
• Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a serious infection that affects the lungs and may spread elsewhere in the body. It can cause swollen lymph nodes.
• Other infections: Other infections, especially those that affect the lungs, may cause swollen lymph nodes. Examples include bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, such as pneumonia, HIV, histoplasmosis, and toxoplasmosis, respectively. However, mononucleosis, a viral infection, rarely causes the lymph nodes in the chest to swell.
• Other causes: Other serious health issues, such as heart failure or interstitial lung disease, can sometimes cause swollen chest lymph nodes.

In a 2019 study, of the 1,075 people who underwent an endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) to diagnose swollen chest lymph nodes, cancer was the most common reason for the swollen chest lymph nodes, with 61.6% having some form of this disease.

Except for the lymph nodes above the collarbone, the lymph nodes in the chest are so deep that a person cannot feel them.

Most are located around organs and behind bones or other large structures. Many are behind the breastbone in the pleural space, which is the tissue lining the chest and surrounding the lungs.

Others surround the main veins and arteries of the heart. For example, the para-aortic lymph nodes lie on the front and the back of the ascending aorta and aortic arch.

As it is not possible to feel the lymph nodes deep in the chest by pushing on the skin, a person will require an imaging scan to determine whether they are swollen.

It is not possible to feel the mediastinal lymph nodes, which are deep in the chest. Other chest lymph nodes are also typically too deep to feel. Doctors usually only notice swelling in these lymph nodes on an imaging scan.

However, a person may feel some lymph nodes around the chest, such as the lymph nodes above the collarbone.

Swollen chest lymph nodes can cause symptoms such as chest pressure and fullness, so a doctor may suspect that either the lymph nodes are swollen or a person has an underlying disease.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest may also experience swollen lymph nodes elsewhere, such as in the armpits, groin, or neck.

People with swollen lymph nodes in the chest might not notice any symptoms. However, the swollen lymph nodes sometimes push on organs or other structures, which may cause pain.

An underlying illness can cause swollen lymph nodes along with other symptoms such as:

• feeling sick or weak
• fever
• cough or trouble breathing
• swollen lymph nodes elsewhere in the body
• unexplained weight loss
• night sweats
• pressure in the chest

Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic system or lymph nodes. It can begin in the lymph nodes of the chest or travel to these lymph nodes from other parts of the lymphatic system.

Other cancers, such as lung cancer, may also spread, affecting nearby lymph nodes.

Although a biopsy of the lymph nodes is the only way to diagnose cancer, a doctor may also recommend blood work and imaging scans to evaluate the source of the swollen chest lymph nodes.

The type of cancer a person has, where it began, and whether it has spread to other areas help determine the outlook. For instance, the overall 5-year relative survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 72%.

The treatment for swollen chest lymph nodes depends on the cause. Some options include:

• Infection treatment: Antibiotics can treat many infections, including tuberculosis. Fungal infections may require antifungal treatment, while some infections, such as viral pneumonia, respond well to supportive therapy. Supportive therapy means that a doctor monitors the person and treats their symptoms, such as with IV fluids and observation in the hospital.
• Cancer treatment: The right cancer treatment depends on the cancer, but usually includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. A surgeon may remove the cancerous lymph nodes or recommend surgery to remove cancer in other areas of the body.
• Immunosuppressive therapy: Treatment for an immune-mediated disease such as sarcoidosis includes corticosteroids and immune therapy.
• Medication: As some medications can cause lymph nodes to swell, a doctor may recommend switching medications.

Finding swollen chest lymph nodes can be scary, especially if they accompany other symptoms. A doctor will perform other tests to determine the reason for the swelling and offer advice about treatment options.

Even a very serious diagnosis, such as cancer, often responds well to treatment, especially in the early stages. Furthermore, antibiotics can often completely cure infections, such as tuberculosis.

People who experience chest pain or pressure, breathing difficulties, or other symptoms of swollen chest lymph nodes should see a doctor as quickly as possible.

The doctor will likely ask for a log of all of the symptoms a person experiences, including when the symptoms first appeared. They will also ask the person about their medical history.

Onco Wiki – What is the mammary gland made of?

What does the structure of the mammary gland include?

The mammary gland consists of three components:

1. The glandular component is the lactiferous ducts and 15 to 20 lobes arranged in a circle like flower petals. Each lobe is divided into lobules, where milk is produced. From each lobule there are ducts, they merge into a common duct of the lobe, ending with a hole in the nipple.
2. Fibrous component – a tissue similar to that of which muscle ligaments are composed, acts as a supporting structure, provides the shape of the mammary gland. Also in the thickness of the mammary gland from the skin to the chest wall are bands of connective tissue – ligaments that hold the breast tissue in place.
3. Adipose tissue – fills the space between the glandular and fibrous tissue and largely determines the size of the breast.

There are no muscles in the mammary gland itself. The pectoral muscles covering the ribs are located under it.

Nerves, blood and lymph vessels pass through the mammary gland. Lymphatic vessels lead to small bean-shaped organs – lymph nodes. Groups of lymph nodes are located under the arm (axillary), above and below the clavicle (supra- and subclavian), as well as in the mammary gland itself (intramammary).

The role of the lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are found throughout the body and help fight infections. They filter the colorless liquid flowing from the tissues – lymph, containing immune cells – lymphocytes.

The state of the lymph nodes plays an important role in determining the stage of breast cancer and prognosis of the disease. In the course of treatment, they may be removed, biopsied or irradiated. Lymph nodes that collect lymph from the mammary gland are located in the armpit. In breast cancer, tumor cells can migrate through the lymphatic pathways from the primary tumor in the mammary gland to the axillary lymph nodes and beyond.

You can read more about the surgical treatment of diseased lymph nodes here. Learn more about staging breast cancer with lymph node assessment here.

In addition, large blood vessels and nerves are located in the armpit, which provide blood supply and normal functioning of the arm. The most careful attitude to these structures during axillary surgery and proper physical rehabilitation after surgery can minimize the risks of impaired hand movements after surgery.

Valeria Konstantinova

Oncologist-mammologist, resident surgeon, graduate of the Higher School of Oncology

September 17, 2022

10/19/21

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Breast cancer – symptoms, signs.

Have you been diagnosed with breast cancer?
Surely you are wondering: what to do now?

Such a diagnosis always divides life into “before” and “after”. All the emotional resources of the patient and his family are thrown into experiences and fear. But it is at this moment that it is necessary to change the vector “for what” to the vector “what can be done”.

Very often, patients feel overwhelmingly alone at the beginning of the journey. But you must understand that you are not alone. We will help you cope with the disease and will go hand in hand with you through all stages of your treatment.

Here is a brief but very detailed overview of breast cancer.

It was prepared by highly qualified specialists of the Department of Oncology and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of the Breast and Skin and the Department of Oncoplastic Surgery of the Herzen Moscow Research Institute of Operative Surgery, the Department of New Medical Technologies with a Group for the Treatment of Breast Cancer – branches of the National Medical Research Center for Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, edited by the heads of departments Aziz Zikiryakhodzhaeva, Evgeny Troshenkov and Mrina Kiseleva.

This booklet provides information about the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Here are collected the main methods of treating this disease, including the latest developments of domestic and foreign oncologists.

Every year more than 70,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Russia. Even more depressing are the death rates from this cancer. Every year the Russian Federation loses more than 22,000 of its women, many of whom were of reproductive age.

We want to help you beat cancer!

Overview of breast cancer

Malignant neoplasms are one of the main causes of death and disability in the population of developed, and in recent years, developing countries. Economic losses are associated with significant costs for social security and insurance due to the high cost of treatment, preventive and rehabilitation measures, long-term, often irreversible disability. In the structure of the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the female population of Russia in 2017, breast cancer was 21. 1%. The cumulative risk of developing breast cancer increased from 4.81 to 6.02 from 2007 to 2017. Among women of the most socially active category (aged 20 to 59years) breast cancer was diagnosed in 30,818 cases in 2017, which accounted for 43.7% of the total number of newly diagnosed cases (70,569). In 2017, the number of patients diagnosed with stages I-II of the disease was 69.9%. . However, does breast cancer always mean a sentence? Of course not, because modern medicine has developed many effective ways to treat this disease. However, much depends on the woman herself. After all, the ability to recognize the symptoms of the disease in time will facilitate the process of healing the patient for doctors.

Prevalence of breast cancer

Breast cancer has been known since ancient civilizations. For example, a disease that has a typical set of signs of breast cancer is described in ancient Egyptian papyri. In that era, the disease was considered incurable and leading to quick death. However, in earlier times this ailment was most likely a rarity. Currently, there is a rapid increase in the number of cases. Statistics say that in developed countries, approximately one in ten women is faced with breast cancer. Every year, only in Russia, malignant tumors in this organ are found in 50,000 women. And worldwide this number exceeds one million. And the statistics on survival are also disappointing so far. Almost half of the cases in women are fatal.

Description of breast cancer

The mammary gland is a paired organ that is a hallmark of the mammalian class, to which humans also belong. The ability to feed their offspring with milk containing easily digestible nutrients has given mammals a huge competitive advantage over other branches of the animal kingdom. However, you have to pay for everything. The mammary glands are also complex organs, whose work depends on the effects of sex hormones. The slightest deviations in the biochemical processes occurring in the body affect the mammary gland.

This organ is made up of many lobes of alveoli that produce milk. Through special ducts, milk enters the nipple, where it is secreted during lactation. Also in the chest there is a lot of adipose and connective tissue, there are blood and lymphatic vessels.

Women are well aware that their breasts are subject to various diseases – mastitis and mastopathy. Not uncommon and benign tumors of the mammary glands, for example, adenomas. Under certain circumstances, they can degenerate into malignant ones. However, breast cancer can also appear on its own, without being associated with other diseases. The tumor, in fact, is a conglomerate of overgrown glandular cells, constantly growing and spreading its pathogenic influence on other organs.

It should be noted that the mammary glands are by no means a female privilege, unlike other female reproductive organs. Under the nipples of a man, glands are hidden in the same physiological sense as in women, although many men are not aware of this. However, unlike women, the glands in men are in a “sleeping” state and are not active, since female hormones are needed to activate the glands. However, the similarity of male breasts to female breasts means that men can also suffer from breast tumors. Cancer of this organ, however, is observed in the stronger sex about 100 times less often than in women.

In terms of nosology, malignant tumors of the breast are represented by two main varieties – ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma. In total, there are more than 20 types of tumors that form in the tissues of the mammary glands. Tumors can be invasive, that is, spread very quickly to other tissues and non-invasive. Also, cancerous tumors are divided into those that are susceptible to female hormones and actively respond to them, and those that are not susceptible to hormones. The last category of breast tumors is considered the most difficult to treat.

Causes of breast cancer

As with many other cancers, the exact causes of breast cancer are still unknown. However, there is an assumption that cancer of this organ is largely associated with a violation of the hormonal balance in the body, primarily with an increase in estrogen levels above normal. According to this theory, the following women fall into the risk group:

• who have never given birth to children,0008
• who had multiple abortions,
• who took estrogen for a long time,
• who started menstruating early,
• who had a late menopause (at 50 and older).

The significance of these factors is easily explained – the more a woman had menstrual cycles, the more her body is exposed to estrogen throughout her life. Estrogens stimulate the regeneration of tissues in many organs, including the mammary glands, which means that the likelihood of mutations in these tissues increases.

Also, in some cases, breast cancer is a genetic disease. Genes have been found, damage to which with a 50% probability causes disease in their carriers. However, genetically determined cancer accounts for only a small proportion of all cases of the disease.

The following women are also likely to be at risk:

• elderly who have entered the menopause;
• suffering from oncological diseases of other organs;
• who had benign breast tumors;
• obese, diabetic, arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis;
• having bad habits – using nicotine and alcohol;
• who have been in contact with carcinogens or frequently exposed to radiation;
• eating large amounts of animal fats.

There is also a theory linking many cases of breast tumors with the negative effects of certain viruses.

Sometimes there is an opinion that mechanical injuries of the breast can lead to malignant tumors of the mammary glands. However, in fact, there is no substantiated evidence of such a relationship.

Most breast cancers occur in older women. The peak of the disease falls on 60-65 years. The proportion of women under 30 who have been diagnosed with the disease is small. And in most cases, their tumor is not particularly aggressive. And in adolescent girls, the disease occurs only in isolated cases.

Diagnosis of breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the few cancers where self-diagnosis is extremely effective. This means that a woman can often detect a tumor herself when examining her mammary glands. In this case, it is necessary to know only a set of symptoms that accompany this disease. Indeed, in about 70% of cases of breast tumors, suspicious masses were initially discovered by the patients themselves, and not detected during a medical examination.

Therefore, every woman should make a habit of self-examination of her breasts. This procedure is simple and should be carried out every month after the end of menstruation.

When examining, the primary attention should be paid to the following parameters:

• symmetry of the breasts,
• their size,
• skin color,
• skin condition.

If a suspicious symptom or formation of an incomprehensible nature is detected, then you should consult a mammologist. He will perform a manual breast examination and may prescribe additional procedures such as ultrasound, mammography (x-ray of the breast area), ductography (mammography with a contrast agent). If suspicions of the malignancy of the formation still remain, then a biopsy is performed followed by a study of the cellular material. A blood test for tumor markers is also performed.

Symptoms of breast cancer

As mentioned above, a woman can often determine whether everything is in order with her breast during a self-examination. However, for this it is necessary to know the set of symptoms that accompanies cancer.

It should be borne in mind that pain is not the defining symptom in this case. Breast tumors in most cases develop in the early stages almost painlessly. If a woman, during self-examination, finds a painful induration, then in most cases it is a benign formation.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. Symptoms of erysipelatous, shell and inflammatory diffuse tumors usually include severe chest pain. These forms of the disease are also often characterized by a set of symptoms such as high fever and inflammation, which can be confused with some kind of infectious disease. A sign of such tumors is the absence of clear boundaries and rapid spread over a large area. In the shell-like form of cancer, the tumor can compress the surface of the breast, due to which it decreases in size.

The main signs of breast cancer are a hard surface and uneven contours of the tumor. Smooth and round tumors, as a rule, are benign formations. Usually, a malignant tumor is immobile and only slightly shifts when pressed. Another symptom of a tumor is a change in the appearance of the skin located above it. The skin may retract and wrinkles and folds may form.

As the disease progresses, cancer cells can enter the lymph nodes, so they can grow in size. These signs – an increase in lymph nodes, their uneven surface, should also be alarming. In most cases, lymph nodes affected by cancer cells remain painless.

In addition, a common symptom of gland tumors is discharge from the nipples, not associated with lactation. These secretions are usually pathological and contain blood or pus.

TNM staging system for breast cancer

Also, breast cancer stages are often indicated according to the TNM system, in which the T index determines the size of the tumor, N – the degree of damage to the lymph nodes, M – the presence of distant metastases.

Index T can take values ​​from 1 to 4:

• Stage T1 – tumor size up to 2 cm,
• Stage T2 – tumor size from 2-5 cm,
• Stage T3 – tumor size more than 5 cm,
• Stage T4 – tumor spreads to the chest wall and skin.

Index M takes values ​​from 0 to 3:

• N0 – no metastases in the lymph nodes;
• Stage N1 – metastases in the axillary lymph nodes of the 1st and 2nd level, not soldered together;
• Stage N2 – metastases in the axillary lymph nodes of the 1st and 2nd level, soldered together, or damage to the internal mammary lymph node;
• Stage N3 – metastases in the subclavian lymph nodes 3 level or metastases in the internal mammary and axillary lymph nodes, metastases in the supraclavicular lymph nodes.

Index M can take only two values ​​- 0 and 1 M0 – no distant metastases were found, M1 – distant metastases were found.

Treatment of breast cancer

The priority of modern clinical oncology is functionally sparing and organ-preserving treatment. The bulk of the contingent of cancer patients is formed from patients with malignant tumors of the breast.

Advances in clinical oncology have led to the cure of many thousands of cancer patients, but this has led to the difficult problem of adaptation and rehabilitation of patients who have undergone anticancer treatment. Disability of cancer patients is a consequence of functional, anatomical, aesthetic and psychological disorders. It is the elimination or reduction of the effects of anticancer treatment that can radically improve the rehabilitation of cancer patients.

The possibility of rehabilitation of a particular patient is considered individually, taking into account a complex of prognostic factors: localization and stage of the tumor, its morphological structure, the nature of the treatment performed, the degree of anatomical and functional disorders, as well as general biological and social characteristics – age, gender, profession, position in society, family, etc.

One of the main principles of functionally sparing treatment is the combination of the stages of surgical removal of the tumor and surgical rehabilitation. This principle is currently applicable for patients with stages I-II and most of stage III due to the introduction of a reconstructive-plastic component of the restoration of the affected organ into oncology. The reconstructive-plastic component of the surgical rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer includes a set of reconstructive-plastic surgery measures that allow to restore the appearance of the organ and its aesthetic parameters in the shortest possible time and with maximum efficiency. This component can be represented by the use of both autografts and artificial materials.

Surgical rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer is closely related to improving the quality of life.

The Department of Oncology and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of the Breast and Skin presents all areas of surgical rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer.

I DIRECTION

Organ-preserving treatment

The Department of Breast and Skin ORPS has developed new methods of organ-preserving treatment of breast cancer in the form of oncoplastic resections based on the author’s methods of reduction mammoplasty, which allow obtaining not only good oncological, but also aesthetic results. Received patents for the invention. 90% of women were satisfied with postoperative aesthetic results.

The sentinel lymph node detection technique, used in most cases in organ-sparing operations, makes it possible to avoid unnecessary lymphadenectomy and reduce the risk of postoperative complication in the form of post-mastectomy edema of the upper limb. Surgeries involving detection of the sentinel lymph node are less traumatic, meet the standards of oncological care, and contribute to earlier rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer.

Options for breast-sparing breast surgery that can be performed on patients with early stages of breast cancer or on patients after effective neoadjuvant drug treatment in accordance with the requirements for breast-sparing treatment of breast cancer.

Variants of organ-preserving operations:

1) Resection of the mammary gland with determination of the “sentinel lymph node”

2) Radical resection of the mammary gland with simultaneous reconstruction of the latissimus dorsi muscle

3) Radical resection of the mammary gland with simultaneous reconstruction with a fragment of the pectoralis major muscle

4) Oncoplastic resection of the mammary gland

Scheme of one of the options for oncoplastic resections mammary gland. We are interested in that our patients by the day of discharge from the hospital were not only healthy, but also beautiful and were ready to return to a socially active life, to the family, to society.

Therefore, one of the options for organ-preserving surgical treatment and simultaneous surgical rehabilitation are:

5) Oncoplastic resection of the mammary gland with a symmetrizing operation on the contralateral mammary gland

Scheme of reduction mammoplasty

6) Symmetrizing (corrective) operation on the contralateral mammary gland

90 004 The patient may apply for a symmetrizing operation on the contralateral mammary gland also after completion of antitumor treatment.