Sentinel lymph node biopsy is now a widely accepted method of axillary lymph node staging for invasive breast cancer. This review encompasses the historical perspective of surgical management of the axilla; the data that has emerged over the last decade highlighting the accuracy, safety, and applicability of this procedure; and the technical details necessary to perform this procedure. Successful adaptation of sentinel node biopsy implies that the operator has a high identification rate and a low false-negative rate, as well as the collaborations with the other involved disciplines: pathology, radiology, and nuclear medicine.
