Preoperative and Intraoperative Lymphatic Mapping for Radioguided Sentinel Node Biopsy in Cancers of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Accurate evaluation of lymph node status is one of the most important factors for predicting the clinical outcome of gastrointestinal tumors. SLN mapping has clearly become highly feasible and accurate in staging gastrointestinal cancers [1]. In this regard, the technical feasibility of radioguided SLN identification while performing a laparotomy in patients with esophageal, gastric, or colorectal cancer has been demonstrated [2]. This method can also identify and characterize cases with aberrant/unexpected lymphatic drainage from the primary lesion.