What is a "palpable node" and how can it help detect the spread of cancer?

What is a "palpable node" and how can it help detect the spread of cancer?

Most skin cancers—basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma—are localized to the skin, and that's where they do their damage. Unfortunately, malignant melanoma does have the capability, as it grows into the skin, of metastasizing. And the first place it usually metastasizes to is the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes that it goes to are usually the draining lymph nodes, which would be those lymph nodes most geographically in proximity to the atypical mole. When that lymph node has enough tumor in it, it will become palpable—or known as a “palpable lymph node”—that your hand can feel it. That would be—for instance, on the arm, that would be those nodes in the armpit; and on the leg, it would be those nodes in the groin. Finding a palpable node is not something that we would like patients to find because we really want them to find the mole that caused it way before that. Early detection of melanoma is the way to prevent morbidity and mortality from melanoma. Finding a palpable node is not a good sign to have and one that we would prefer to prevent rather than to identify.