History of sentinel node and validation of the technique.
Sentinel node biopsy is a minimally invasive technique to select patients with occult lymph node metastases who may benefit from further regional or systemic therapy. The sentinel node is the first lymph node reached by metastasising cells from a primary tumour. Attempts to remove this node with a procedure based on standard anatomical patterns did not become popular. The development of the dynamic technique of intraoperative lymphatic mapping in the 1990s resulted in general acceptance of the sentinel node concept. This hypothesis of sequential tumour dissemination seems to be valid according to numerous studies of sentinel node biopsy with confirmatory regional lymph node dissection. This report describes the history and the validation of the technique, with particular reference to breast cancer.
Tanis
P J
PJ
Department of Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ptanis@nki.nl
Nieweg
O E
OE
Valdés Olmos
R A
RA
Th Rutgers
E J
EJ
Kroon
B B
BB
D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods