Tissue from the lymph nodes is sent to the lab for further analysis and a full pathology report is usually available a few days later. The incision is then closed with stitches, and a bandage is placed over the incision site. An incision, no longer than three inches wide, is made in the armpit or groin and a group of lymph nodes are removed for tissue analysis. Lymph node dissection takes about one hour, and is usually performed under general anesthesia. Cancers that have a marked tendency to move to the lymph nodes include melanoma, head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and cancers of the breast, thyroid and lung. Since cancer often spreads to the nearby lymph nodes before it spreads to anywhere else in the body, the lymph node dissection can show whether the malignancy has traveled from its original site. Lymph node dissection is a surgical procedure in which lymph nodes are removed from the armpit or groin area to check whether a cancer has spread from its original site to an adjacent area. Because of its position, many doctors believe that, if cancer spreads beyond the breast, the sentinel node is the first place it would appear, and that, if there are no cancerous cells in the sentinel node, the cancer has likely not spread beyond the breast. In the case of breast cancer, the sentinel node is located under the arm and is the first node that drains fluid from the breasts. Reasons for a Sentinel Lymph Node BiopsyĪ sentinel lymph node biopsy can be used to diagnose the spread of the following cancers: The sentinel node is the first node to which the cancer spreads after leaving its site of origin. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a diagnostic surgical procedure performed to determine whether cancer has spread into the lymphatic system from its original site.
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