title: [Sentinel node--malignant melanoma and primary breast cancer. The significance of sentinel node in the treatment of malignant melanoma and primary breast cancer].
abstract: Dissection of regional lymph nodes plays an important role in surgical treatment of melanoma and breast cancer. However, the dissection of regional nodes is connected with a high morbidity and dissection in the 50-75% of the patients, who have no regional metastases, represents an overtreatment. No diagnostic procedures are available which could select patients who should have a regional lymph node dissection. The sentinel node (SN) is the first node in the lymphatic basin that drains the primary tumour. SN can be localized by means of dye or isotope or a combination. SN can be localized in melanoma or breast cancer patients in 98% of the operations. In 0-1% (melanoma) or 0-5% (breast cancer) SN was false negative. In some melanoma centers SN technique is an established routine. If the SN is normal, no regional lymph node dissection is needed. In breast cancer technical improvements must be achieved before SN examination can be used routinely. Future studies must clarify if examination of SN could have clinical significance in other malignant tumour diseases.
authors.affiliation: Odense Universitetshospital, kirurgisk afdeling A.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Axelsson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Løntoft
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bak
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*