[Progress and clinical application of sentinel lymph node biopsy technique in gynecological malignant tumors]

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is the first group of lymph nodes involved in cancer metastasis. SLN biopsy (SLNB) refers to the positioning and biopsy of the SLNs in the operation using specific tracers to assess the status of lymph node metastasis. It has attracted increasing attention and has been applied in gynecological malignant tumors due to its less invasiveness, fewer complications, and high diagnostic rate. However, it also has produced a series of problems to be explored and solved. This review introduces the existing tracer methods, and discusses the indications of application and the clinical trials of SLNB in vulvar cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer in order to provide reference for the rational application of SLNB in gynecological malignant tumors.