Future perspectives on selective sentinel lymphadenectomy

Selective sentinel lymphadenectomy is a standard staging procedure for pati ents with melanoma and is rapidly evolving into a standard procedure for br east cancer. A well-trained, multidisciplinary team is essential for the su ccess of such a procedure. Clinical trials are under way to determine the c linical significance of sentinel lymph nodes in melanoma and breast cancer. The techniques of harvesting are being developed in other solid cancers, s uch as gynecologic and gastrointestinal cancer. Cellular and molecular tech niques are being used to study the mechanism of micrometastasis.