The CUF Hospital in the Azores now has a device for performing sentinel lymph node biopsies, a key test for determining the next steps in breast cancer treatment.

This new equipment, combined with the clinical team’s experience and expertise, allows for more comprehensive and differentiated care for cancer patients.

According to a statement released by the hospital, the sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node most likely to receive tumor cells from the initial lesion in the breast. Through biopsy, the presence or absence of malignant cells can be verified. When no changes are detected in this lymph node, the others are likely not compromised.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in Portugal, with around 9,000 new cases and nearly 2,000 deaths each year. This equipment enables a biopsy, which is essential for treating the disease. It uses a minimally invasive procedure, allowing the sentinel lymph node to be located precisely.

According to general surgeon Luís Bernardo, who is responsible for this procedure at the CUF Azores Hospital, this test allows direct access to the key point, “avoiding the removal of all lymph nodes to check for metastasis and preserving the defenses of the breast, armpit, and shoulder.”

Instead of using radioactive substances, as in nuclear medicine, the sentinel lymph node biopsy performed with the equipment now acquired by CUF uses a special compound called an immunofluorescent compound. When injected into the body, this compound acts directly on the lymph node that doctors want to observe.

The hospital reports that “with this equipment, surgeons can make more accurate decisions tailored to each patient’s needs, allowing for personalized follow-up in each case.”

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.