Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping for Gynecologic Cancer

Your lymphatic system — the system responsible for carrying the white blood cells that fight infection — is a major route by which cancer cells can spread throughout your body.

At the Magee-Womens Gynecologic Cancer Program, we use sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping to determine if cancer cells have spread to your lymph nodes.

A surgeon performs an SLN biopsy — a minimally invasive procedure — to remove the main (sentinel) lymph nodes to test for cancer.

What Can I Expect During a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy?

During your SLN biopsy, your surgeon:

1. Injects dye near the tumor to identify the SLN (the main lymph node) where the cancer is likely to have spread first.
2. Makes a small incision and removes the SLN for biopsy.
3. Sends your SLN biopsy sample to a pathologist who examines it to determine if cancer is present.