BACKGROUND: Ultrastaging, by serial sectioning combined with immunohistochemical techniques, improves detection of lymph node micrometastases. @entity1600 and retrieval provides a representative node(s) to facilitate ultrastaging. The impact on staging of @entity694 and rectum in all series emphasizes the importance of this technique in @entity5 management. Now the challenge is to determine the biological relevance and prognostic implications. METHODS: The electronic literature (1966 to present) on sentinel node mapping in @entity694 and rectum was reviewed. Further references were obtained by cross-referencing from key articles. RESULTS: Lymphatic mapping appears to be readily applicable to @entity14 and identifies those lymph nodes most likely to harbour @entity3 . Sentinel node mapping carries a false-negative rate of approximately 10 per cent in larger studies, but will also potentially upstage a proportion of @entity1 from node negative to node positive following the detection of micrometastases. The prognostic implication of these micrometastases requires further evaluation. CONCLUSION: Further follow-up to assess the prognostic significance of micrometastases in @entity14 is required before the staging benefits of sentinel node mapping can have therapeutic implications.

@entity1600 in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer'] @entity1600 :: ('MESH:D014388', 'Disease') :: ['Sentinel lymph node mapping'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastases'] @entity14 :: ('MESH:D015179', 'Disease') :: ['colorectal cancer'] @entity694 :: ('MESH:D003110', 'Disease') :: ['carcinoma of the colon']
@entity14 :: (MESH:D015179,Disease) :: ['colorectal cancer']
