When a breast lesion proves to be malignant, women have several options, but some type of mastectomy is usually performed. One revolutionary procedure debuting across the country is sentinel lymph-node mapping. The sentinel node is the lymph node to which breast cancer may initially spread. Because the lymph nodes are arranged in a chain, surgeons who found cancer in any one lymph node frequently removed all of the lymph nodes. New sentinel lymph node mapping detects the affected lymph nodes so that only those nodes are excised.
Identification is made possible by the injection of a radioactive substance.
The amount of radiation received by the patient is minimal comparable to the amount received by walking across a parking lot on a sunny day. Fortunately, in October of 1998 the Federal Government passed a women's entitlement act stating that all women who have breast cancer are entitled to breast reconstruction, prosthesis and lymphedema treatment. Of course, successful treatment of breast cancer depends on early diagnosis and treatment. While monthly breast self-exams should be part of every woman's personal healthcare routine, the American Cancer Society also recommends a baseline mammogram at age 40 and testing every 1 to 2 years after age 40.