Cancers of the mouth and oropharynx can spread to lymph nodes in yourneck.Your surgeon might remove some or all of the lymph nodes in your neck. Why you might have surgery to remove lymph nodes Lymph nodes are small bean shaped glands found throughout the body, including the head and neck. They are part of the lymphatic system that filters body fluid and fights infection. They also trap damaged or harmful cells, such as cancer cells. They are often the first place cancer cells spread to when they break away from a primary cancer. Your doctor needs to find out if lymph nodes in the neck contain cancer. It is important to know this to work out the stage of the cancer and plan treatment. What happens? Neck dissectionBefore your operation, your surgeon might know that there is cancer in your lymph nodes. In this case, the surgeon removes your lymph nodes during your surgery to remove the cancer.Surgery to remove the lymph nodes in the neck is called a neck dissection.Surgeons don't routine...
