![]() A radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor (first panel). Sentinel lymph node biopsy of the breast. ![]() Is SLNB used to help stage all types of cancer? A false-negative biopsy result gives the patient and the doctor a false sense of security about the extent of cancer in the patient’s body. A false-negative biopsy result-that is, cancer cells are not seen in the sentinel lymph node even though they have already spread to regional lymph nodes or other parts of the body.Skin or allergic reactions to the blue dye used in SNLB.Difficulty moving the affected body part.Numbness, tingling, swelling, bruising, or pain at the site of the surgery, and an increased risk of infection.Seroma, or a mass or lump caused by the buildup of lymph fluid at the site of the surgery.Very rarely, chronic lymphedema due to extensive lymph node removal may cause a cancer of the lymphatic vessels called lymphangiosarcoma. In addition, there is an increased risk of infection in the affected area or limb. In the case of extensive lymph node removal in an armpit or groin, the swelling may affect an entire arm or leg. There is less risk with the removal of only the sentinel lymph node. The risk of lymphedema increases with the number of lymph nodes removed. Lymphedema may cause pain or discomfort in the affected area, and the overlying skin may become thickened or hard. This disrupts the normal flow of lymph through the affected area, which may lead to an abnormal buildup of lymph fluid that can cause swelling. During lymph node surgery, lymph vessels leading to and from the sentinel node or group of nodes are cut. It spares the patient an unnecessary total axillary lymph nodes dissection with its consequences of morbid arm swelling & pain.įor more information on Sentinel Node Biopsy, visit the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging website.All surgery to remove lymph nodes, including SLNB, can have harmful side effects, although removal of fewer lymph nodes is usually associated with fewer side effects, particularly serious ones such as lymphedema.easier for the patient in terms of recuperation with less surgical dissection.may be performed on an outpatient basis.more accurate than the traditional axillary dissection in assessing whether breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.highly reliable in detecting cancerous cells.What are the advantages of Sentinel Node Biopsy? The lymph nodes that have absorbed the radioactive tracer are considered as sentinel lymph nodes and are removed to be examined under the microscope for the presence of cancer cells. The surgeon makes an incision underneath the arm and passes a hand-held probe over the area to measure levels of radioactivity. Images are taken to visualize the sentinel lymph nodes, which may harbor cancer cells. Prior to surgery to remove part of or the entire breast, a radiotracer that contains radioactive material is injected near the tumor and/or around the nipple.In a sentinel node biopsy, only the sentinel nodes are surgically removed, which reduces the number of lymph nodes resected and thus reduces complications and side effects, including morbid swelling of the arm and pain as a consequence of axillary lymph nodes dissection. Sentinel nodes that are closest to the tumor are most likely to contain cancer cells if the tumor has started to spread. Molecular imaging is used to identify the first few or sentinel nodes into which a tumor drains. Sentinel node(s) dissection is a relatively new alternative to the axillary lymph node(s) dissection which was previously performed during surgery.How is Sentinel Node Dissection performed? To determine if cancer has spread to a patient’s lymph nodes, an axillary lymph node dissection may be performed in addition to removing part or all of the breast. The lymph nodes in this armpit region drain lymph from the breast and nearby areas. According to the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, when breast cancer spreads, cancer cells are often found in the lymph nodes that are located under the arm, called axillary sentinel lymph nodes.
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