Invasive breast cancer can spread through the lymph ducts and blood vessels to other areas of the body. The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node(s) that the lymph ducts drain into. Whether or not the cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node helps to indicate whether the cancer has started to spread beyond the breast. Sentinel node biopsy identifies this node and allows only this lymph node to be removed and checked for cancer. Removing just the sentinel node(s) can allow breast cancer patients to avoid many of the complications and side effects associated with a traditional axillary lymph node dissection.
Invasive breast cancer can spread through the lymph ducts and blood vessels to other areas of the body. The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node(s) that the lymph ducts drain into. Whether or not the cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node helps to indicate whether the cancer has started to spread beyond the breast. Sentinel node biopsy identifies this node and allows only this lymph node to be removed and checked for cancer. Removing just the sentinel node(s) can allow breast cancer patients to avoid many of the complications and side effects associated with a traditional axillary lymph node dissection.
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