Sentinel-Lymph-Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer — Not Yet the Standard of Care

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 339; no. 14; pp. 990 - 995
• Main Authors: Ross, Merrick I, Edwards, Michael J, Whitworth, Pat W, Giuliano, Armando E, McMasters, Kelly M, Byrd, David R, Reintgen, Douglas S, Hunt, Kelly K, Tafra, Lorraine C, Klimberg, V. Suzanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 01.10.1998
• Subjects: Accuracy; Axilla; Biopsy; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Dissection; FDA approval; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes - diagnostic imaging; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis - diagnostic imaging; Lymphatic Metastasis - pathology; Lymphatic system; Melanoma - pathology; Melanoma - secondary; Neoplasm Staging - methods; Radionuclide Imaging; Standard of care
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199810013391410

A sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor. It can be detected by injection of a blue dye or radioactive colloid around the primary tumor, which travels to and identifies the first draining (sentinel) node. Biopsy of a sentinel lymph node can reveal whether there are lymphatic metastases, thereby obviating the need for extensive dissection of the regional lymph-node basin. Sentinel-lymph-node biopsy has become a standard technique for determining the nodal stage of disease in patients with melanoma. Initial studies of this method in patients with breast cancer suggest that sentinel-lymph-node biopsy . . .