Surgical Benefits

The original prototype system has been used, in addition to the radioactive method, on twelve patients who kindly gave their consent to a trial at University College London Hospital. This has been enormously helpful in developing the magnetic method, but larger-scale trials of a new easier-to-use prototype will be essential.

Without access to sentinel node biopsy, the surgeon tends to remove all the lymph nodes in the arm-pit area as a precaution. This is a lengthy and very invasive procedure, increases recovery time from the operation, may cause long-term arm swelling and weakness, and affects the immune system – a condition known as lymphedema. Frequently lymph node clearance is actually unnecessary, so the benefit of sentinel node biopsy to the patient is in avoiding being over-treated.

Alternatively, in some cases the surgeon removes only the primary tumour, leaving unanswered the question of whether the cancer has spread. This is to take the risk that life-threatening secondary tumours have not been caught.

Ultimately, sentinel node biopsy gives the patient certainty and peace-of-mind that the right treatments are being used to fight their particular cancer.