Sentinel Node Mapping
Sentinel node mapping is a new state-of-the-art imaging technology at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County.
This new technology limits the amount of surgery required to determine the extent of the disease and promotes a faster recovery. National studies indicate that in the future, this procedure may virtually eliminate the need to perform extensive surgeries for many patients.
In the sentinel node mapping procedure, a radioactive tracer material is injected into the tissue surrounding skin of a lesion. By tracking this material through the lymph nodes, nuclear medicine technologists can follow the pathway from the diseased area to the sentinel, or early draining lymph node.
Another benefit of the procedure is reduced swelling compared to that which patients sometimes experience with standard types of lymphatic surgery.
For more information, call the Lourdes Cancer Center at 609-835-5432.
