Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: What To Think About
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What To Think About
- In a sentinel lymph node biopsy, less tissue is taken out but more sections of tissue are looked at than by a standard lymph node dissection. However, if cancer is found, more surgery will be needed to look at additional lymph nodes.
- Swelling in the area around the biopsy site is less common with sentinel lymph node biopsy than with a lymph node dissection.
- The dye may cause your skin to be blue for several days after the biopsy. It may also cause your urine to turn green for 1 to 2 days.
- It is possible to have false-negative results from the small sample taken during a sentinel lymph node biopsy.
| Last updated: | March 31, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Bets Davis, MFA |
| Reviewed By: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Brent Shoji, MD - General Surgery |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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