Sentinel lymph node biopsies in cancers of the skin, colon, head and neck, and breast

Bridget M. Nelson, MD

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is the initial site of lymphatic drainage for a tumor. Biopsy of the SLN is accurate in predicting the status of the lymph node basin because cells progress from the tumor to the node in a sequential pattern. Patients whose SLN shows no signs of disease can be spared the morbidity of further node dissection. The focus is on a single lymph node, possibly two, depending on the biopsy. The procedure is safe, minimally invasive, cost effective, and can be used in melanoma, colon cancer, head and neck cancer, and breast cancer.