INTRODUCTION: The only possibility to cure gastric cancer is still through a surgical treatment - gastrectomy associated with extended lymphadenectomy -, although this procedure may lead to high rates of morbidity or mortality. Currently, sentinel lymph node biopsy for early gastric cancer (T1/T2 EC) presents arguments that can change this behavior. AIM: To review updated bibliography of the importance of sentinel lymph nodes in gastric cancer surgery and present experimental model in dogs, which could provide training for surgeons as to the method of sentinel lymph node in the stomach. METHOD: Review of literature basing on Pubmed / Medline, Lilacs and Scielo crossing the key-words gastric cancer, lymph node metastasis and sentinel lymph node biopsy and presenting an experimental method for localization of sentinel node. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence shows that there is much to prove, however, the definition of the treatment of gastric cancer in T1 tumors appears to be the major focus and opens up plenty of space for research. The experimental model in dogs for the study of LS in the stomach, could provide training for surgeons in the method.
Gastric cancer; Node metastasis; Sentinel lymph node biopsy
