How it is diagnosed

Sometimes a CT scan or MRI scan is all that is needed to make a diagnosis of secondary cancer in the lymph nodes, but for other people it may be necessary to carry out further tests. For example:

Excision biopsy This involves removing a lymph node, or nodes, under general anaesthetic.

Needle biopsy A sample of cells may be taken from an enlarged lymph node, using a fine needle attached to a syringe. The needle biopsy is usually done in a clinic and does not need a general anaesthetic.

The cells can then be sent to a laboratory to be examined under the microscope by a pathologist (a doctor who can diagnose illness by looking at cells).

If your doctors feel that the enlarged lymph nodes (or those seen on a scan) are quite clearly linked to the primary cancer, it may not be necessary to remove a node or take a biopsy.

Treatment

The treatment for a cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes depends on the individual situation, including the person’s general health and type of primary cancer. It may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, or a combination of these treatments.

Sometimes, cancer cells may be found in lymph nodes near to the primary tumour, which have been taken away during surgery to remove this cancer. In this situation, treatment such as chemotherapy may be suggested. This is because if a primary cancer has spread to the nearby lymph glands, it increases the risk that the cancer may have spread to other parts of the body (even though those glands have been removed). Chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy can reduce the chance of the cancer coming back for some people.