The study of the Sentinel lymph node carried out by the services of Pathology, instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Barcelona, March 2011- breast cancer is the most common among women around the world, accounts for 16% of all female cancers, according to figures from the World Health Organization (who). Survival rates vary widely depending on the areas of the world, from 80% in North America, Sweden and Japan, up to 60% in middle-income countries means and 40% in countries of low income, according to who. Improvements in early detection programmes and advances in diagnosis and treatment of recent years have led to a significant reduction in mortality from breast cancer in the European countries: in Spain, the reduction of mortality started especially since 1990 with the introduction of new diagnostic techniquesearly óstico and more effective treatment regimens ”, emphasizes Dr. Aurelio Ariza, President of the Spanish society of pathology and Spanish Division of the International Academy of pathology (PAS-IAP).

An optimal approach in breast cancer through early detection. So it is essential to carry out a certain diagnosis to confirm the disease and the study of spread of cancer to learn about the area or areas, according to the PAS-IAP.

Today the certainty of cancer diagnosis always makes a pathologist by microscopic examination or complete and detailed histopathological of biopsy, regardless of whether cancer breast or other ”, explains Dr. Ariza. is not a procedure carried out by any machine or automatic, but that requires the revision of the tissue by means of microscopic study for to make the diagnosis if detected which can be interpreted as cancerous tissue ”, has tempered García red Marcial doctor, vocal communication and social projection of the PAS-IAP.

This work, as stated from society, requires a very specialized training of the pathologist in the detection of breast cancer since is a cancer that can manifest itself in diverse form ”, detailing Dr. García red.

Once is the study of certainty, the second step is to conduct a study of the extent of the cancer, which will allow to know the extent and areas affected by cancer: recently Yes one have been able to introduce techniques that automate the detection of extension beyond the site of origin breast cancerin other words, we know the metastasis to lymph nodes. These techniques, molecular pathology, are very sensitive and are able to detect even tumor cells isolated at a metastasized lymph node ”, explained Dr. García red, adding that now uses the study of lymph node Sentinel, it is the first lymph node they find tumor cells when driving for the lymph or blood from the original primary tumor elsewhere in the body, a process we investigationg metastasis. The identification of the ganglion Sentinel by the automatic method established the team of doctors attending to the patient, usually in the breast unit, which includes surgeons, gynecologists, oncologists, radiation, radiologists, medical nuclear and medical pathologists ”.

In this same vein, Dr. Vicente Furió, specialist in breast pathology and Anatomy pathology of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos Madrid service Gynecologic, remember that though we can have machines that help in early detection of metastatic disease through breast cancer Sentinel lymph node, can only be this technique in pathology services if the pathologist checks that the type of tissue that is looking really corresponds to lymph node and if there is a prior confirmation by the presence of carcinoma histopathological study in breast ”.

For PAS-IAP is particularly important the promotion of quality and innovation of study pathological diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of the response to therapy of cancer-related. The society strives to make visible the important tasks which the pathologist performed at the service of the cancer patient and strives to ensure that these tasks are provided with social care and the necessary human and technical resources ”, has tempered the President.