The radioactive tracer travels from the cancer site to the sentinel node, along the same lymphatic channels that cancer cells could travel. A small amount of radioactive material is injected either around the cancer or under the nipple. It is usually performed in a nuclear medicine or X-ray department. Lymphatic mapping is performed the day before, or a few hours before surgery. The sentinel node is identified, or ‘mapped' using a combination of two techniques: Testing the lymph nodes is very important, it gives you and your doctor information about the breast cancer and helps to plan further treatment. Treatment for breast cancer usually involves removing some lymph nodes as well as removing the cancer from the breast. Sentinel node biopsy is recommended for patients who have early breast cancer. Usually there are between one and three sentinel nodes. The axillary sentinel nodes are the lymph nodes that first drain cancerous fluid from the breast. They are part of the lymphatic system present in various parts of the body such as the neck, armpits, behind the ears, chest, abdomen and groin. Lymph nodes are oval-shaped glands that contain cells that defend the body against foreign substances. Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy is a procedure to remove the sentinel lymph nodes in the axilla to examine them for malignancy. The sentinel lymph node is defined as the first node or group of nodes to which cancer cells are most likely to spread from a primary tumor. When Breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it usually goes to the lymph nodes of the axilla or underarm.
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