Does sentinel lymph node biopsy have a role in colorectal cancer?

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in colorectal cancer is feasible, and may offer a means of reducing histopathology workload while maintaining staging accuracy. Although SLN biopsy allows use of sensitive molecular markers that can identify isolated tumour cells and micrometastases, these findings require more extensive clinical evaluation before they can be used to guide patient management. The application of molecular markers to identification of minimal residual disease after primary tumour resection, shows promise as a means of indicating patients requiring chemotherapy.