The sentinel lymph node biopsy is a recent advance in breast cancer treatment.  The technique helps determine if a person's breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.  Lymph done spread is an indication of metastasis, a situation that often requires chemotherapy treatment.  The sentinel lymph node biopsy technique allows the surgeon to easily identify if there is cancer in the lymph nodes by removing only a few of them.   The sentinel lymph node biopsy first caught national attention in December 1996, when several physicians from the Moffit Cancer Center, University of Southern Florida published an article about this new technique.  They injected two medications, a radiounclide called technetium sulfur colloid and a blue dye, lymphazurin blue, to identify te armpit lymph nodes mostly likely to contain cancer.

   Physican's at Rose Medical Center have been performing the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique for over two years.  Using a team approach, Dr. Jeff Levy (radiologist), Dr. Jeff Goates (pathologist), Drs. Joyce Moore and Barbara Schwartzberg (surgeons) each received formal training at the Moffitt Cancer Center in early 1997.  Their first procedure , using both technetium sulfur colloid and lymphazurin blue injections, was performed in March 1997.  For two years, the physicans performed a combined procedure, each patient receiving both a sentinel lymph node biopsyand a standard armpit dissection.  Doing this, the physicians demonstrated excellent results with the sentinel lymph node technique.  The sentinel lymph node biopsy has identified the cancerous lymph nodes in greater than 95% of cases.

 Dr. Joyce Moore and Dr. Barbara Schwartzberg have now collectively participated in over 100 sentinel lymph node biopsies.   The sentinel lymph node technique is offered to most patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer by a needle core biopsy.  These patients undergo a formal armpit dissection only if the sentinel lymph nodes contain cancer metastases.  Patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer by excisional biopsy or who have had presurgical chemotherapy are offered the sentinel lymph node procedure combined with an armpit dissection. Please call 303-320-7826 for more information about this exciting advance in breast cancer care.