Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/umls/id/C1519247
NCI: The use of dyes and radioactive substances to identify the first lymph node to which cancer is likely to spread from the primary tumor. Cancer cells may appear first in the sentinel node before spreading to other lymph nodes and other places in the body.,NCI: A procedure that detects early metastases to the lymph nodes of the axilla. A radioactive tracer material is injected into the tissue prior to surgery and an X-ray picture is taken to visualize the lymph node system. The surgeon uses a small probe to find the lymph node and if the sentinel lymph node is free of cancer, the other lymph nodes in the axilla may not need to be removed. This minimizes the risks and side effects of a full lymph node dissection.