One of the first priorities after diagnosis of breast cancer is finding out if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. There are two ways that breast cancer commonly spreads - through the bloodstream and through the lymph node system.

Knowing the extent of spread helps guide your treatment plan. Breast cancer spread most commonly occurs through the lymph nodes in the underarm on the same side of the body as the breast tumor.

Your healthcare team can test for the spread of cancer to these lymph nodes in several ways. Your surgeon can describe the surgical options to you. You and your healthcare team should discuss these benefits and risks before the sentinel lymph node surgery takes place to ensure that you understand the possible consequences of actions taken in decision-making during surgery, while you are unable to participate. Please click on the patient brochure for additional information.

If you are a candidate for sentinel lymph node biopsy, we invite you to explore this site and learn more about this new molecular test. Talk to your surgeon to see if the GeneSearch™ BLN Assay would be a good option for you