New research conducted at the St. Luke's Cancer Center in Bethlehem has concluded that the application of the surgical technique known as sentinel lymph node biopsy (or lymphatic mapping) may make it easier to identify the lymph nodes most likely to contain metastatic disease. This may increase survival rates for colon cancer patients by providing physicians with a more accurate diagnosis of the cancer (whether it has spread out of the colon) and thus allowing for more appropriate treatment choices. Sentinel lymph node biopsy identifies lymph nodes at risk for the spread of cancer. The procedure involves injecting dye around the tumor, which then drains to the main lymph node(s) near the colon where cancer cells typically first spread to the rest of the body. By removing that lymph node -- known as the sentinel node -- a pathologist is able to determine if the cancer has spread. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and may ultimately be a better predictor of survival for patients. "The number of lymph nodes typically removed during colon cancer surgery is eight," says Lee B. Riley, MD, Ph.D., medical director of the St. Luke's Cancer Center and principal investigator of the study. "Statistical models, based on random identification of random lymph nodes that are positive for disease, show that to correctly classify lymph node status with 95 percent confidence, 15 to 20 lymph nodes are needed for various colon tumors. By only removing eight lymph nodes on average, we are not accurately staging many patients." Colon cancer patients in the St. Luke's tumor registry who were staged as "node-negative" had a short survival when they had less than 10 lymph nodes removed as compared to patient with more than 10 lymph nodes removed and evaluated. "By identifying the sentinel lymph node in colon cancer patients, we are more likely to identify patients whose disease has spread and provide the best treatments to improve their survival status," adds Dr. Riley. "In the next year at St. Luke's, we will be working to further refine sentinel lymph node biopsy for colon cancer by finding ways to make it easier for surgeons to identify the sentinel lymph node in all patients." The research, entitled "The Role of Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Staging of Colon Cancer," was recently presented by W. Terence Reilly, MD, and Steve Esser, MD, at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons' annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Additional investigators on the project were Riley and Camille Eyvazzadeh, MD. All are physicians on staff at St. Luke's Hospital-Bethlehem Campus. Thanks to Doctors' Guide for this information. Digital Rectal Exam:Colorectal Alert test AACR, 2003 presentation Corporate press release Left Colon Tumors Differ Genetically from Right AACR Abstract #R1481 Lymphatic Mapping: Colon Archives of Surgery, 6/06 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.