Physiology Sentinel lymph node

female breast , adjacent lymph nodes , lymph vessels

the spread of forms of cancer follows orderly progression, spreading first regional lymph nodes, next echelon of lymph nodes, , on, since flow of lymph directional, meaning cancers spread in predictable fashion cancer started. in these cases, if cancer spreads spread first lymph nodes (lymph glands) close tumor before spreads other parts of body. concept of sentinel lymph node surgery determine if cancer has spread first draining lymph node (called sentinel lymph node ) or not. if sentinel lymph node not contain cancer, there high likelihood cancer has not spread other area of body.