Glossary
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Anesthesiologist: A doctor who administers drugs or gases to put a patient to sleep before surgery.
Axillary dissection: Removal of all the underarm lymph nodes.
Axillary sampling: Removal of some of the underarm lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy: Treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells. Most often used to supplement surgery or radiation therapy.
Lumpectomy: Surgical removal of the lump or cancerous tissue from the breast and some or all of the underarm lymph nodes. Also sometimes called "local excision" or "tylectomy."
Lymph nodes: Part of the lymphatic system that removes wastes from body tissue and carries fluids that help the body fight infection.
Lymphedema: Swelling in the arm caused by excess fluid that collects when the lymph nodes and vessels are removed during surgery or damaged by radiation therapy.
Mastectomy: Surgical removal of the breast.
Rad: Stands for "radiation absorbed dose." A unit of measurement for radiation therapy.