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Your doctor has requested a Breast Lymphangiogram study. This booklet will answer some of the questions you may have. 

What is a Breast Lymphangiogram study? 

A lymphangiogram study shows the flow of lymph from the site of injection through the draining lymphatics and into the sentinel lymph node(s). The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that receives drainage from a cancer site. A breast lymphangiogram study is done prior to your surgery, to help detect the sentinel node. There may be more than one sentinel node. If a sentinel node is removed, examined by a pathologist and found to be healthy, the chance of finding cancer in the remaining nodes is small.  

This test can be done either on the day of your surgery, or the day before your surgery is scheduled. The actual day of the test is determined by your physician and you will be booked accordingly. 

What is involved? 

When you arrive in the Nuclear Medicine department, a technologist will explain the entire procedure to you and then give you the opportunity to ask any questions. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown for this test. The technologist will then ask you to lie on an imaging table to begin the study. You will receive an injection of a radioactive tracer in the affected breast, near the nipple, just below the skin’s surface. The radioactive tracer will be mixed with a freezing material called lidocaine. There are no known side effects from this injection.  Sometimes, there is a need to gently massage the injection site to encourage the flow of the radioactive tracer. The technologist will guide you to do this, if necessary.   Depending on when your surgery is scheduled (same day vs next day), the technologist will take several images of your chest or three-dimensional images (or both) using a special detector called a gamma camera.  The images may be taken immediately after the injection or after a half hour waiting period. Depending on your lymphatic flow and the time/day of your surgery, this procedure can take anywhere from 15 min to 1.5 hours. 

Do I need to prepare for the scan? 

• Bring your Health Card. 
• No special preparation is required. However, you will likely be required to fast after midnight if you are having the surgery on the same day.  
• Please leave all valuables at home. 
• Please notify our booking office at the time of scheduling your appointment if you have any concerns regarding claustrophobia, lying still, require a mechanical lift for transfer to the imaging bed, have a language barrier or any other special needs, so that appropriate arrangements can be made ahead to provide you with the best possible care. 

Will it hurt? 

Only the pinprick of the injection needle may hurt a bit. You may also experience a burning sensation as the tracer is injected under the skin. This is normal and usually passes quickly. 

Is the radiation dangerous? 

The injection contains a small amount of radioactive tracer which emits gamma rays (these are similar to X-rays). The radiation dose is very low and will disappear by itself after two days. The results of your scan will give your doctor useful information about your condition and will help them plan your treatment. The benefits of having the scan far outweigh any potential risk from the small radiation dose. 

Do I need to do anything after the scan? 

No special precautions are needed after the scan. If you are travelling across any borders in the seven days after your scan, please ask us for further advice. Border crossings and airports have very sensitive radiation detectors which may pick up tiny amounts of radioactivity remaining after your scan. We will give you a letter that you can show to customs officials at border crossings or airports. 

Is there anything I should tell the staff before the injection? 

Please tell us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.  

Tell us if you have an allergy to lidocaine, or dental freezing. 

How will I get the results of my scan? 

A specially trained doctor will examine the pictures. This is normally done soon after the end of the scan. A report is then sent to the doctor who asked us to do the scan. Your doctor will receive the results in time for your surgery. You will also have access to the report on MyChart as soon as it is released. 

If you have questions about the scan results or report, please contact your doctor directly. They are best able to interpret the report for you. 

Will this test cost me money? 

No. This test is paid for by the healthcare system. The test costs several hundred dollars, so please notify the department at 613-761-4831 if you cannot make your appointment. 

What should I do if I cannot make my appointment? 

If you cannot make you appointment, it is important that you notify the department at 613-761-4831 as soon as possible. Failure to make your appointment results in wasting of expensive materials that are ordered especially for your appointment and also reduces availability to other patients. Missed appointments may also result in delays of your treatments. 

Directions and Parking 

Civic Campus  1053 Carling Avenue – 1st Floor Tel.: 613-761-4831, option 8 Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Directions: From within the Civic Campus, take the “C” elevators to the 1st Floor and follow the signs to Nuclear Medicine. Patients may also ask for directions at the patient information desk.	General Campus  501 Smyth Road – Main level Tel.: 613-761-4831, option 8 Hours: Mon. – Fri., 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Directions: From the main entrance, follow the signs on the main level (located at the public elevators). Patients may also ask for directions at the patient Information desk.
Park in either parking lot off Carling Avenue (P7) or in the multistory parking garage (P1).	Park in the parking garage which is located beside the main entrance just off Smyth Road.

Parking instructions 

• All parking lots are automated  
• Take the parking ticket with you inside.  
• When you have completed your appointment, you can pay by cash or credit card at one of our pay stations, or you can pay by credit card with express exit at the parking lot exit gates (the grace period after payment to leave facility is 20 minutes). 
• Payment methods: 
  • Pay stations: Cash or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). 
• Maximum parking fee is $13.00 

Visit The Ottawa Hospital’s website for additional directions and parking instructions and maps.

Last updated on: March 24th, 2022