 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Hi Joy,
The procedure itself uses a small diameter needle (actually called a "cannula"), to draw some lymphatic fluid from the node for pathological analysis. The needle is guided by viewing the "region of interest" with an ultrasound system and visualizing the correct positioning of the needle. They should, at least, give you a local for that.
"Suspicious" can mean many different things, my take would be that the lymph nodes in question are larger than 1 cm. Lymph nodes swell up all the time when we have infections so don't freak out yet. They are being cautious and conservative.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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