What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?
A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a type of surgery sometimes recommended for patients with melanoma. The purpose of the surgery is to find out if melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is usually performed in a hospital operating room and is done at the same time as the surgical removal of the melanoma. Before the surgery, a radioactive dye is injected into the skin at the site of the melanoma. Then sensors are used to follow the path of the dye to the lymph nodes. This process identifies which lymph nodes are most likely to have melanoma if the melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes. Then the surgeon removes the melanoma and the lymph nodes identified by the dye. The lymph nodes are checked under the microscope for the presence of melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is not usually recommended for melanomas with a Breslow’s depth of less than 1 mm. If the Breslow’s depth of the melanoma is greater than 1 mm a sentinel lymph node biopsy may be recommended.
