Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: the node to recovery

Abstract

The widespread adoption of sentinel lymph node biopsy to stage the axilla has led to decrease in arm and shoulder morbidity. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is suitable for patients with clinically/radiologically node negative invasive breast cancer and selected patients with DCIS (those with clinical/radiological mass or extensive lesions requiring mastectomy). The combined isotope-blue dye injection technique gives the best results. We inject the isotope intra-dermally preoperatively and blue dye dye subdermally after anesthetic induction into the tumour quadrant peri-areolar tissue. Lymphoscintiscan is not necessary but is useful during the learning phase. Sentinel node biopsy can be performed through a small transverse or vertical axillary incision (~3 cm) appropriately placed to allow axillary lymph node clearance if needed.