Stopping Surgery Due To Lymph Nodes?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: Will my surgery be stopped if it is determined that my cancer has spread to the lymph nodes?

Answer: Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes, and sometimes that's first discovered at the time of surgery. But we no longer recommend that the operation be stopped just because there may be some spread to the lymph nodes. These lymph nodes can be removed, the prostate removed and in some cases, a man can be cured of his cancer even though there proves to be spread to the lymph nodes.