A radioactively marked substance (99m Tc nanocolloid) is injected into the region of the tumour. The product then moves through the lymph vessels to the lymph nodes.
Following this process with the gamma camera enables the first visible lymph node(s) to be identified as sentinel node(s). These appear as 'hot spots' on the scintigraphic images. This location is marked on the skin using a pen.
Later, this lymph node is preoperatively traced by the surgeon using a pen-shaped, hand-held gamma probe and selectively removed. In other words, the sentinel node procedure shows the drainage pattern of the lymph nodes from the tumoral region.
In the case of breast carcinoma, the radioactive marked substance is injected in the breast area; in the case of skin cancer, it is injected around the scar of the skin lesion, which has usually already been removed.
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