What is a sentinel node biopsy? How accurate is this?

Gordon F. Schwartz, MD, MBA, FACS

Academic Title: Professor

Director, Jefferson Breast Care Center

Board Certifications:
Surgery

The Sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to which they cancer might spread. If we can take out the sentinel lymph node – or nodes because there are usually more than one – and they are clean, than the rest of the nodes are clean and don’t have to be removed. This is a very accurate method of testing whether a cancer has spread.