http://www.or-live.com/genesishealth/1678 Breast Cancer: A surgical procedure that plays an important role in breast cancer treatment will be shown during a webcast from Genesis Medical Center, Davenport October 10, 2007 at 7 p.m. CDT. Called a Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) Biopsy, the procedure helps the doctor determine the extent to which the disease is spreading within the body, and develop an appropriate treatment plan. It also has fewer patient side effects than standard lymph node removal. Genesis, through its Center for Breast Health, was one of the first hospitals in the country to participate in a study of the effectiveness of the procedure, which now is an accepted standard of care for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer is a significant public health problem increasing at 2 percent per year. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths. Breast cancer strikes women of all ages, regardless of risk factors. The Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy will be performed by David Aanestad, M.D., Davenport Surgical Group, and Surgical/Medical Director of the Genesis Center for Breast Health. Joseph Lohmuller, M.D., Davenport Surgical Group, will moderate the webcast. It will be the medical center's fourth webcast. Pea-sized lymph nodes are part of the body's lymph vessel system – small channels that drain excess fluid from all the tissues of the body back into the bloodstream. As the fluid drains it goes through the nodes, which act as filters that trap bacteria, cancer cells and other harmful substances for the immune system to attack before they enter the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body. "The sentinel lymph nodes are the first nodes to receive lymph drainage from the breast and the first lymph nodes to receive cancer cells from a breast tumor as the cancer tries to metastasize, or spread, from the primary tumor," said Dr. Aanestad. "There commonly is a limited set of o...