The case for sentinel node biopsy
A less invasive procedure to diagnose and treat head and neck cancers is proving beneficial for patients
In early 2014, when working at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, I saw first-hand the benefits of using sentinel node biopsy (SNB) – a less invasive treatment for diagnosing and treating head and neck cancers.
SNB is an alternative, and significantly less invasive, treatment for diagnosing and treating head and neck cancers. A fluorescent camera locates the nodes in the neck that could contain migrating cancer cells, so that these can be targeted and removed.
This saves more than 70% of patients with early disease from having a neck dissection. It spares vital glands and helps patients get back to a normal life more quickly, compared with traditional neck dissection techniques.
SNB has been
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