Reoperative sentinel lymph node surgery

The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging of primary breast cancer is well established. However, in cases of previous surgery to the breast or axilla, the reliability of sentinel lymph node biopsy has not been well established. Reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy potentially has the same benefits as sentinel lymph node biopsy done at the time of the primary diagnosis, including staging, identifying at-risk lymph nodes, and providing critical information for use in treatment decision making. This article reviews the literature regarding reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy and makes recommendations for implementation of the technology in this setting. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.