A sentinel node biopsy is a type of surgery that checks to see if cancer has spread from a primary tumour to the lymphatic system. It is most often used to check for breast cancer and melanoma.
The first few lymph nodes that a tumour drains into are the sentinel nodes. For a sentinel node biopsy, a tracer material is injected. This helps the surgeon find the sentinel nodes while they are operating. The sentinel nodes are taken out and looked at in a lab.
If cancer hasn’t spread and the sentinel lymph nodes are clear, there’s no need to take out any more lymph nodes. If the SLNB comes back negative, that means cancer hasn’t progressed to any of the lymph nodes or other organs in the area.
If the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) comes back positive, it means that cancer has progressed to the lymph nodes in the immediate area (these are called regional lymph nodes) and perhaps beyond. Cancer’s stage (how far it has spread throughout the body) and treatment options can be narrowed down with this data.
If a sentinel lymph node biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor may suggest that more lymph nodes be taken out.
The lymphatic system is made up of small, round organs called lymph nodes. The immune system includes the lymphatic system. It is made up of a network of blood vessels and organs that carry lymph, a clear fluid that carries white blood cells that fight infections as well as fluid and waste from the cells and tissues of the body. Lymph can also carry cancer cells that have broken off from the main tumour in a person with cancer.
A sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that cancer cells from a primary tumour are most likely to spread to. There isn’t always just one sentinel lymph node.
A radiotracer is a type of marker that is injected around the tumour by a doctor. The radiotracer moves through the lymphatic system, which is a path or network of lymph channels and nodes. This lets the surgeon see which lymph nodes drain the tumour first and find a sentinel lymph node.
Then, the doctor makes a small cut in the skin and looks for the lymph node that needs to be taken out. The lymph node is looked at by a pathologist to see if it has cancer.
This method involves making a smaller cut and can keep people from needing more invasive surgery. It can cut down on the time it takes to get better after surgery and lower the risk of side effects like lymphedema, which is swelling that happens when more lymph nodes are taken out.
Most of the time, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is done as an outpatient procedure. This means that the patient can leave the hospital the same day unless they need more surgery.
The risks are very low, but there is a very small chance, between 2% and 4%, that a sentinel lymph node might not be found.
Some patients worry about the radiotracer that is used to find the sentinel lymph node. Even though the tracer is radioactive, the particle it sends out has very low energy. There have been no reports of serious side effects, and the only bad thing is that sometimes the injection hurts for a short time.
Patients who have a sentinel lymph node biopsy may also get lymphedema, but it’s less likely than in those who have open surgery.
No. Most of the time, SLNB is used to help figure out the stage of breast cancer and melanoma. It is sometimes used to find out how far along endometrial and penile cancers are (2). But it is being studied with other types of cancer, such as vulvar and cervical cancer (3), colorectal, gastric, oesophagal, head and neck, thyroid, and non-small cell lung cancer (4).
About
Dr. Mansi Chowhan
Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon-Surgical Oncologist
MS (Gold Medalist), FIAGES, MCh Breast Oncoplasty (UK), Fellow Breast Surgery (Paris), Fellow Head & Neck Surgery, IFHNOS – MSKCC (New York)
Dr. Mansi Chowhan is an expert Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon with experience of more than 14 years and has been awarded with a gold medal during her surgical post-graduation. Dr. Mansi is well-trained from world renowned surgeons and cancer institutions like the Paris Breast Centre, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (New York), University of East Anglia (U.K.) and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She is a skilled surgeon with over 14 years of experience in some of the best hospitals in the Delhi- NCR region including Fortis Hospital, Artemis Hospital, Paras Hospital and Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, CK Birla Hospital. She works with utmost dedication and compassion to deliver international standard and personalized cancer care to the patients.
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