Your body contains a series of lymph nodes, which are part of your immune system. Many forms of cancer, including skin cancer, spread through the lymphatic system. As such, your lymph nodes can provide physicians with a great deal of information about whether your cancer has spread, and if so, how far.

Successful cancer treatment requires the complete eradication of it from your body. It is often difficult to determine how or where cancer has spread, but a sentinel lymph node biopsy can give doctors the information they need to develop a full-on assault to treat your disease.

You may be recommended for a sentinel lymph node biopsy if there is a reason to suspect your cancer was not fully eliminated through another method.

A sentinel lymph node biopsy is often performed at the same time your tumor is removed, in which case your preparation will be the same as for your primary surgery.

A radioactive substance (typically a blue dye) will be injected very close to your tumor. This substance then adheres to cancerous lymph nodes and is located with the help of a device that detects radioactivity and/or dye. Once the sentinel lymph node has been identified, it is removed and then sent to the laboratory for examination. In some cases, the lymph node on either side of the sentinel lymph node may also be removed as a precautionary measure.

The entire procedure can take two to three hours from the time dye is inserted until the lymph node is removed.

You may feel sore in the area where your sentinel node was removed. Many patients also feel tired and achy for about a week or so.

Whether or not you will have scars is not important. What is important is determining what stage of cancer you might be in so that the right treatment program can be prescribed.

Your specimen will be reviewed by a pathologist who will issue a report of the findings a few days later. These will be submitted to your physician who should receive them within a couple of weeks. If you have not heard back from us by that time, please contact our office so that we may perform a follow-up.

Because you may have different needs than any other patient, we will not be able to discuss the exact cost with you until after your consultation. Cash, personal checks, and credit cards are always accepted for any of the procedures we offer, and many of our patients will also qualify for low-interest financing.