Current status of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early breast cancer

In patients with primary breast cancer, the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a minimally invasive method of assessing nodal status, with the aim of reducing the morbidity of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The SLNB technique is relatively new, and there are several ongoing clinical trials to assess its long-term effects on survival, local recurrence, and morbidity. Yet, surgeons throughout the United States have already adopted it into their practices, and it is now widely used in the management of patients with primary breast cancer. In this article, we discuss some of the pertinent issues pertaining to the application of SLNB in the management of breast cancer.