title: The sentinel node in gynaecological malignancies.
abstract: As lymph node metastasis is one of the earliest features of tumour cell spread in most human cancers, assessment of the regional lymph nodes is required for tumour staging, determining prognosis and planning adjuvant therapeutic strategies. However, complete lymph node dissections are frequently associated with significant complications. Conjugating the diagnostic advantages with decreased morbidity, the sentinel node concept represents one of the most recent advances in surgical oncology. In this review we briefly highlight the historical background of the development of the sentinel node concept, the anatomical evidence for applying the sentinel node concept in pelvic gynaecological cancers and the technical aspects of sentinel node detection. We discuss recent studies in vulval, cervical and endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: The Gynaecological Cancer Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Queen Mary University, London, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balega
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Van Trappen
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008220:Lymphography; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*