What is a “sentinel node” procedure?
The body fluid that bathes the breast tissue is normally drained to the armpit on the same side and filtered through small glands called lymph nodes before it is then circulated. The number of lymph nodes in the armpit that are involved with cancer cells is an important clue to gauge the aggressiveness of the disease, assess prognosis, and assign therapy. This is because these nodes trap cancer cells draining from the tumor into this first line of defense. It has, however, been realized that this drainage follows the pattern of going to a first-station lymph node (sentinel lymph node) before the cancer spreads to other lymph nodes. This “sentinel node” is therefore an excellent target for sampling for cancer cells. If the sentinel node is free of tumor cells, there is only about a 4 percent to 5 percent chance that cancer cells will be found in other lymph nodes. This saves the patient from a more extensive procedure (complete axillary dissection) and removal of additional lymph nodes,
