The fluid can be removed by aspiration with a fine needle and examined by a pathologist to be sure. In treating breast cancer, the word usually refers to removal of the axillary lymph nodes and vessels. Scientists have shown a strong relationship exists between estrogens and breast cancer. Gynecologists may also have special training in breast disease.
Estrogens are hormones which can affect cancer growth.
An excisional biopsy is the same procedure. The nodes act as filters, collecting bacteria or cancer cells that may travel through the lymph system. Measurements of the reaction are converted by a computer to cross-sectional images in which the internal body structure is clearly shown. Frequently, mammograms can show lesions in the breast too small or too deep to be felt in a manual examination. This hormone is needed to mature the egg and prepare the uterus for a possible pregnancy.