& Axillae Assessment 2026
Exam All Answers and
Illustrations Given
important landmarks of breast assessment - ANSWER ✔✔4
quadrants & tail of spence
tail of spence - ANSWER ✔✔extends into the axilla (must be
assessed)
where do most breast cancers originate? - ANSWER ✔✔upper outer
quadrant
, four axillary node groups - ANSWER ✔✔-central
-pectoral (anterior)
-subscapular (posterior)
-lateral (humeral)
primary drainage pathway - ANSWER ✔✔-75% of breast lymph
nodes drain into axillary nodes
-medial breast --> internal mammary nodes
why does axillae & lymphatic drainage matter? - ANSWER ✔✔b/c
enlarged, hard, & fixed nodes = suspicious for metastasis
breast palpation technique - ANSWER ✔✔support patient's arm -->
relaxes pectoralis major --> deeper access to all node groups
what to look for when inspecting breasts - ANSWER ✔✔-size,
symmetry, color
-skin changes (redness, dimpling, bulging, lesions)
-nipple (retraction, inversion, discharge)