Breast Cancer: Anatomical and Treatment Considerations Flashcards
When do we (DoD) recommend for starting mammogram screening?
40 years old and then every year after that
What are two ways that breast cancer treatment can cause lymphedema in the arm?
- Surgical resection of the axilla lymph nodes leave the lymph drainage from the arm with nowhere to go. The lymph pools into the arm leading to fibrosis and lymphedema.
- Radiation of the breast causes lymph obliteration leading to the same problem.
How can you reduce the risk of lymphedema following surgical resection of breast cancer?
Find the sentinel lymph node (the one that primary breast cancer spreads to first). Take just that one out if it has cancer. If it doesn’t have cancer, then the other nodes probably don’t have cancer.
Describe the borders of the axilla (a pyramidal space)
Anterior wall: pectorals major and minor
Posterior wall: subscapularis and teres major/lattisimus dorsi
Medial: 1st 4 ribs
Lateral: humerus,, coracobrachialis and biceps brachii.
Describe the route of the axillary artery
- It is a continuation of the subclavian a.
- It starts at the lower border of the 1st rib
- It ends at the tendon of teres major, where it becomes the brachial a.
How is the axillary artery divided?
It is divided based on its location relative to the pectorals minor m.
1st part: above it
2nd part: behind it
3rd part: below it
What are the branches of the axillary a.? (I don’t know if we need to know this detail but it was in lecture….just putting it for familiarity purposes)
1st part: 1 branch
- Thoracic
2nd part: 2 branches
- Thoracoacromial
- Lateral Thoracic
3rd part: 3 branches
- Subscapular
- Posterior Humeral Circumflex
- Anterior Humeral Circumflex
Describe the venous drainage of the axilla
the axillary vein starts as a continuation of the brachial vein and then continues into the subclavian vein.
