WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SLND?
The greatest risk is that the sentinel node will test negative and not accurately signal metastatic cancer within the underarm region or axilla. In the series reported in the worlds scientific literature, the percentage of false negatives is about two per cent at several institutions. The chief safeguard against a false negative result is the experience of personnel involved, their insistence on strict criteria for the identification of the sentinel nodes and their inclination to extend the procedure should the mapping techniques not meet strict criteria. The amount of radiation exposure with the isotope portion is negligible, and the blue dye is harmless other than giving the patient a Smurf-like hue for a few hours. Theres usually a bluish stain around the “lumpectomy” for a few weeks.
