Detecting Breast Cancer Earlier.

• Position: Brief Article

A new technique has been developed that can eliminate radical surgery for patients with early breast cancer. The procedure, called the sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND), is a simpler way of determining if breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes under the arm (axilla).

Usually, an axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is performed on a woman with early breast cancer to uncover whether or not the cancer has metastasized. Metastasis is the most significant predictor of survival and indicates whether a woman needs post-surgical hormonal treatment or chemotherapy.

ALND involves removing most of the axillary lymph nodes. Although ALND accurately reveals the stage of illness and decreases the risk of tumor occurrence under the arm, it requires hospitalization and may result in severe complications. Only about one-third of women with early breast cancer will have lymph node metastasis.

Women who undergo ALND have a 10-20% chance of developing severe arm swelling. This often requires extended physical rehabilitation, as well as causing significant discomfort. Moreover, after the procedure, most women experience lifelong upper arm numbness, occasional shoulder dysfunction, and, sometimes, chronic pain.

Comparatively, the sentinel lymph node dissection is less invasive. The sentinel lymph node is defined as the lymph node most likely to harbor tumor metastasis, if the cancer has spread from the primary tumor. The sentinel lymph node procedure involves the injecting of substances around the tumor that are taken up by the lymphatic...