General Information About the Test
Test Process and Preparation
Just before or during the surgery, a blue dye and/or a very low-dose radioactive substance is injected around the tumor. This substance travels through the lymphatic channels and dyes the first (sentinel) lymph node into which the tumor drains. The surgeon locates and removes that node using a device.
In the past, during breast cancer surgeries, all the lymph nodes in the armpit were removed, which caused severe swelling (lymphedema) and restricted movement in the arm. Thanks to this method, if the cancer has not spread to the sentinel node, the other lymph nodes are preserved, and the patient's quality of life is improved.
The removed lymph node is urgently sent to pathology using the "Frozen Section" method while the patient is still on the operating table. The result comes back in about 15-20 minutes, and the surgeon determines the course of the surgery based on this result.
The information on this page is for informational purposes only. The results of medical tests must be evaluated by specialist physicians.
