sentinel node biopsy

Sentinel node biopsy

A newer procedure performed in order to determine whether breast cancer has spread to auxiliary (underarm) lymph nodes. A blue radioactive tracer and/or blue dye is injected into the area of the breast tumor. The lymphatic vessels carry the dye or radioactive material, to a "sentinel node". This sentinel node is thought to be the first lymph node receiving fluid from the tumor and the one most likely to contain cancer cells if the cancer has spread. Only if the sentinel node contains cancer cells are more lymph nodes removed.

Mentioned in: Lymphedema

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sentinel node biopsy,

biopsy of a sentinel node (the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a malignant tumor). The node is identified as follows: a dye and a radioactive substance injected into the body cause certain nodes to "light up" like sentinels, indicating that they are the most appropriate ones for examination. They are detected by both the light created by the dye and the radioactive substance that is monitored by a gamma camera. If the sentinel nodes do not contain malignant cells, the necessity for removal of more distal nodes is essentially eliminated. Also called intraoperative lymphatic mapping .