Sentinel lymph node biopsy: Review of the literature and guidelines for pathological handling and reporting

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is rapidly becoming the standard of care in staging the axilla for early-stage, clinically node-negative breast carcinoma. This paper discusses the rationale and methods of sentinel lymph node biopsy and critically analyses the data concerning its accuracy and usefulness. The impact of axillary surgery as a staging technique and as a therapeutic intervention on breast cancer prognosis is discussed. The pathological methods for handling and assessing sentinel lymph nodes are described and evaluated. Broad guidelines on how to dissect, process, stain, assess and report sentinel lymph nodes are provided.