Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in XXXX : Indications, Contraindications, and Controversies.

@entity1 @entity0 @entity5 @entity4269 @entity409 @entity1600 @entity128 @entity4298 @entity3
UNASSIGNED: Axillary lymph node status, a major prognostic factor in @entity0 , provides information important for individualized surgical treatment. Because imaging techniques have limited sensitivity to detect @entity3 in axillary lymph nodes, the axilla must be explored surgically. The histology of all resected nodes at the time of @entity1600 ( @entity1600 ) has traditionally been regarded as the most accurate method for assessing metastatic spread of disease to the locoregional lymph nodes. However, @entity1600 may result in @entity4269 , @entity128 , @entity409 , and other short-term and long-term complications limiting functionality and reducing quality of life. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a less invasive method of assessing nodal involvement. The concept of SLNB is based on the notion that @entity5 drain in an orderly manner through the lymphatic system. Therefore, the @entity4298 is the first to be affected by @entity3 if the @entity5 has spread, and a @entity5 -free @entity4298 makes it highly unlikely for other nodes to be affected. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become the standard of care for primary treatment of early @entity0 and has replaced @entity1600 to stage clinically node-negative @entity1 , thus reducing @entity1600 -associated morbidity. More than 20 years after its introduction, there are still aspects concerning SLNB and @entity1600 that are currently debated. Moreover, SLNB remains an unstandardized procedure surrounded by many unresolved controversies concerning the technique itself. In this article, we review the main indications, contraindications, and controversies of SLNB in @entity0 in the light of the most recent publications.
