Defeating Cancer: Growing success, but still far from a definitive solution

A critical pathology

Cancer is a broad term encompassing 200+ types of malignant tumors, with growing incidence. It figures among the leading causes of death all over the world, and has a major social and psychological impact.

A vast majority of tumors expand through the lymphatic system, affecting progressively an increasing number of lymph nodes. The first (direct drainage) node(s) are denominated “Sentinel” nodes, and their status vs tumor invasion is critical to define patient treatment, as evidenced by multiple studies, including ACOSOG’s Z0011.

The condition of regional lymph nodes is the most important prognostic factor in the clinical evolution of cancer patients.

Recent developments in the "sentinel node" concept have resulted in the application of this revolutionary technique in a growing number of tumors, both of superficial and (now with Sentinella) deep, complex drainage.

Medical and Surgical cross-specialty teams, with the decisive role of surgeons from different specialties, nuclear medicine physicians and pathologists, together with new image-guided techniques and improved oncological treatments, are creating a new hope, based on solid clinical evidence, in the victory of more patients over more types of cancer.