Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an exciting method of lymph node staging in surgical oncology. In this method, the first lymph node in the drainage path of a solid tumor (referred to as the sentinel node) is found and used as a surrogate of lymphatic basins, and harvested during surgery. Sentinel node biopsy can decrease the morbidity of surgery by omitting lymph node dissection in patients with pathologically not involved sentinel nodes. This method has already been the standard of care in breast cancer and melanoma.
Despite its success in breast cancer and melanoma, sentinel node mapping and biopsy has not extended to many potential solid tumors, including gynecological and urological cancers. Although considerable advances has been made in vulvar, endometrial and cervix cancers, ovarian cancers can be a potential target for sentinel node mapping. In urological cancers, sentinel node mapping has been developed for penile malignancies only, and other its applications in other common cancers (i.e. bladder cancer) has not been studied extensively.
Sentinel lymph node mapping in many other solid tumors including skin malignancies, head and neck tumors, gastrointestinal tumors, childhood malignancies, etc is currently a popular area of research.
The scope of this research topic is all aspects of sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy including:
1. Radiopharmacy and new radiopharmaceuticals
2. All aspects of imaging including lymphoscintigraphy, SPECT/CT, and near infrared imaging
3. New technologies such as intra-operative gamma cameras, magnetic probes, intra-operative SPECT, etc
4. Clinical studies on the concept of sentinel node mapping in solid tumors with special attention to:
- Gynecological cancers, especially ovarian cancers
- Urological cancers especially bladder and prostate malignancies
- Cutaneous malignancies especially Marjolin ulcer, Merkel Cell Carcinoma, and high risk SCCs
- Pediatric solid tumors
- Gastrointestinal cancers especially esophageal malignancies
- Head and neck cancers especially oral cavity SCC, and laryngeal malignancies
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an exciting method of lymph node staging in surgical oncology. In this method, the first lymph node in the drainage path of a solid tumor (referred to as the sentinel node) is found and used as a surrogate of lymphatic basins, and harvested during surgery. Sentinel node biopsy can decrease the morbidity of surgery by omitting lymph node dissection in patients with pathologically not involved sentinel nodes. This method has already been the standard of care in breast cancer and melanoma.
Despite its success in breast cancer and melanoma, sentinel node mapping and biopsy has not extended to many potential solid tumors, including gynecological and urological cancers. Although considerable advances has been made in vulvar, endometrial and cervix cancers, ovarian cancers can be a potential target for sentinel node mapping. In urological cancers, sentinel node mapping has been developed for penile malignancies only, and other its applications in other common cancers (i.e. bladder cancer) has not been studied extensively.
Sentinel lymph node mapping in many other solid tumors including skin malignancies, head and neck tumors, gastrointestinal tumors, childhood malignancies, etc is currently a popular area of research.
The scope of this research topic is all aspects of sentinel lymph node mapping and biopsy including:
1. Radiopharmacy and new radiopharmaceuticals
2. All aspects of imaging including lymphoscintigraphy, SPECT/CT, and near infrared imaging
3. New technologies such as intra-operative gamma cameras, magnetic probes, intra-operative SPECT, etc
4. Clinical studies on the concept of sentinel node mapping in solid tumors with special attention to:
- Gynecological cancers, especially ovarian cancers
- Urological cancers especially bladder and prostate malignancies
- Cutaneous malignancies especially Marjolin ulcer, Merkel Cell Carcinoma, and high risk SCCs
- Pediatric solid tumors
- Gastrointestinal cancers especially esophageal malignancies
- Head and neck cancers especially oral cavity SCC, and laryngeal malignancies
