The SentiMag® and Sienna+® device system greatly improves the availability of sentinel lymph node localisation for surgeons and their patients.
When a cancer spreads, it first travels to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small bean‐shaped organs, ranging 2-20 millimetres in size that act as filters to clean the lymph as it passes through. The node first in line to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumour is called the “sentinel” lymph node.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a procedure to determine whether cancer has spread, so that the right treatment can be given to every patient. In the case of breast cancer, if no cancer is detected in the sentinel lymph node, then there is no need for an axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in which the 30 or so lymph nodes in the armpit are removed.
Locating and testing the sentinel lymph node via keyhole surgery is preferable to the invasive ALND procedure and its associated problems, and so helps to ensure that patients avoid being over-treated while hopefully providing early peace of mind.
To locate the sentinel lymph node, Sienna+® is injected into the breast and then travels to the sentinel lymph node or nodes. The SentiMag® is then used to sense the unique magnetic properties of the Sienna+® trapped in the node(s) and guide the surgeon to remove the sentinel lymph node(s) for analysis.