What is lymph node surgery in breast cancer treatment?

Lymph node surgery in breast cancer treatment is primarily focused on the management of invasive breast cancer and assessing the spread of cancer via the lymphatic system. When breast cancer is invasive, there is a higher likelihood that cancer cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes, particularly those located in the axilla, or armpit area.

During the surgical procedure, these axillary lymph nodes may be removed and examined for cancer presence, which aids in staging the cancer and determining the most appropriate treatment options. This step is critical as it not only plays a role in prognosis but can also inform further decisions about the necessity and extent of additional treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation.

The importance of this procedure lies in its role in providing a clearer understanding of how the cancer has progressed, rather than simply addressing physical symptoms or enhancing lymphatic function, which is not the primary goal of lymph node surgery. Therefore, option B accurately describes the essential purpose and context of lymph node surgery in the treatment of invasive breast cancer.