There has been recently a rising interest in the problems of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). By definition, a sentinel lymph node is the first node draining a given anatomical region. When a region has two or more draining routes separate SLN can be found for each of them. Metastatically changed, in terms of histopathology, SLN may suggest the presence of metastases in the higher lymph nodes, so-called nonSLNs. Additionally, the use of histochemical methods increases the sensitivity of the method. Lymph node mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy are one of the most promising procedures performed in the diagnosing and treatment in oncology in recent years. The lymph node status is an important prognostic factor. The information obtained from SLN examination can be used to individualize the treatment as well as reduce the possible complications, intra- and postoperative, connected with the extension of the surgery. The paper presents the updated knowledge on this subject with respect to the cervical, vulvar and endometrial cancers.