SLNB

SLNB (Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy): Surgical procedure to identify and remove the first lymph node(s) that drain a tumor (sentinel node) to check for cancer spread.

• Indications:
  • Common in breast cancer and melanoma for staging.
• Pharmacist relevance:
  • Less invasive than full lymph node dissection → lower risk of lymphedema.
  • Pathology results guide adjuvant therapy decisions (chemo, endocrine, targeted therapy).

Key point: SLNB = minimally invasive nodal staging, critical for treatment planning and prognosis.