Validation and Controversy of Sentinel Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer

摘要

Sentinel node biopsy has become a promising technique to accurately stage breast cancer patients with less morbidity than axillary lymph node dissection. However, many problems remain, such as the ideal injection technique, agents, and histological detection of sentinel node metastases, and they must be addressed before sentinel node biopsy becomes the standard for the care of breast cancer patients. The results of ongoing large clinical trials will provide clues to solve these problems. The purpose of this article is to review the current literature regarding confirmation of the sentinel node hypothesis and the controversy of sentinel node biopsy.