Sentinel lymph node

Image illustrating sentinel lymph nodes. The axillary lymph nodes drain 75% of the lymph from the breasts((uncited)) and so may be the first lymph nodes affected in breast cancer.

The sentinel lymph node is the hypothetical first lymph node or group of nodes draining a cancer. In case of established cancerous dissemination it is postulated that the sentinel lymph nodes are the target organs primarily reached by metastasizing cancer cells from the tumor.

The sentinel node procedure (also termed sentinel lymph node biopsy or SLNB) is the identification, removal and analysis of the sentinel lymph nodes of a particular tumour.[1]

  1. ^ Storino A, Drews RE, Tawa NE (June 2021). "Malignant Cutaneous Adnexal Tumors and Role of SLNB". Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 232 (6): 889–898. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.01.019. PMID 33727135. S2CID 242176779.