Lymph Nodes

[MsKnuckles]

What's their function??

Where are they located usually?

Is it true that they're symptoms of cancer if spotted or felt?

[HITMAN]

What's their function??
In short, they fight infection & provide immunity
Where are they located usually?

http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/sigbio/project/updated-lymphatic/node_p2.gif



Is it true that they're symptoms of cancer if spotted or felt?

Not necessarily!

Enlarged lymph nodes are medically termed lymphadenopathy; one of the common causes is infection of the tonsils, whether viral or bacterial, so it is not uncommon to see a child suffering from tonsillitis with swollen & tender lymph nodes in the cervical region of his/her neck, this is a reactive lymphadenopathy, meaning enlarged lymph nodes secondary to infection

Patients suffering from acute HIV will have lymphadenopathy

Coming to Cancer, yes, enlarged lymph nodes are a sign of concern as they might be a sign of Cancer, for example in women with breast cancer, it is common to have enlarged axillary (under the armpit) lymph nodes

Also, the cancer can spread through the lymphatics to other organs of the body, this is known as Metastases, that is why when they perform surgical excision of the breast they also excise the adjacent lymph nodes

[MsKnuckles]

thanks a million for the info hitman.

about its location... that is the only area it's present in?... it's not likely lymph nodes would appear anywhere in the legs or the lower part is it?... are they mobile in other words.

[HITMAN]

about its location... that is the only area it's present in?... it's not likely lymph nodes would appear anywhere in the legs or the lower part is it?... are they mobile in other words.

The above image has quite summed up the location

In the legs they are present in popliteal fossa, that is the place behind your knee

No they are not mobile

[MsKnuckles]

it's the purple circles up there... sorry I misread the diagram... I see now.
that's pretty much all I wanted to know.

there's another thing I heard from a doctor that if you feel a node and it doesn't hurt... that's worse than having it hurt.

again I'm not sure, but thanks for the explanation.

[HITMAN]

there's another thing I heard from a doctor that if you feel a node and it doesn't hurt... that's worse that having it hurt.


That theory might be correct but not reliable, for example a serious condition known as Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer of the lymphatic system) does have painless enlarged lymph nodes, but not everyone having enlarged painless nodes is having Cancer

Best way is to get a biopsy done

[HaYa]

Ist true waxing areas where lymph nodes are can cause cancer or may cause disturbance to the nodes?

[HITMAN]

Ist true waxing areas where lymph nodes are can cause cancer or may cause disturbance to the nodes?

No, it's not true