a lymph nodes that receives lymph drainage directly from a cancer site

a node that has been

Presumed to be the first axillary lymph node to which cancer spreads from the breast; radioactive substance is injected in the tumor site by a specially trained nuclear medicine radiologist; an instrument similar to a Geiger counter maps where the substance has traveled in the axilla; the surgeon inserts blue dye and removes the node that is blue and responds on the counter; a pathologist examines for the presence of cancer; in some institutions this is standard of care, but it depends on how many the surgeon has performed and how accurate the results; the surgeon should be consulted to determine the patient's candidacy for this procedure and a medical oncologist should be consulted to determine if medical treatment can be tailored for the patient from the information obtained.