National protocols for lymphatic mapping

New technology being incorporated into the surgical oncology and general surgery practice has the potential of changing the way many solid tumors are treated. The new procedures promise to be more conservative and less morbid for the patient, but at the same time result in better staging for the patient. National protocols have begun to examine the wide spread applicability of radioguided surgery techniques and to answer some key questions concerning the technology, including the clinical relevance of upstaging that occurs with a more detailed examination of the sentinel lymph node. A national training network is being established to quality assure the surgery performed on the national trials.