Results

If the sentinel nodes don't show cancer, you won't need other lymph node evaluation. If further treatment is needed, your doctor will use information from the sentinel node biopsy to develop your treatment plan.

If any of the sentinel nodes contain cancer, your doctor might recommend removing more lymph nodes to determine how many are affected.

In certain cases, a pathologist can examine the sentinel nodes during your procedure. If the sentinel lymph node shows cancer, you might need to have more lymph nodes removed right away rather than having another operation.