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The sentinel node concept is widely applied for staging of breast cancer and melanoma patients. In addition it has been demonstrated to have potential in colorectal, GI, lung, and head & neck cancer or any other type of cancer that has the potential to spread via lymphatic system.
The radio-pharmaceutical Technetium, along with blue dye, is injected near the tumor and flows to the local lymph nodes. Surgeons use the gamma probe to identify the first lymph node(s) to drain the tumor, the “sentinel lymph node.”
This node is excised and sent to Pathology, where it is analyzed for the presence of metastasis from the tumor. |
