Melanoma patients with positive sentinel nodes who did not undergo completion lymphadenectomy: a multi-institutional study

Outcome of patients with a positive sentinel lymph node who do not undergo completion lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND

Completion lymph node dissection (CLND), although considered a standard approach for patients with melanoma and a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN), is not performed in as many as 50% of indicated cases. This study evaluates the outcome of patients who had a positive SLN but did not undergo CLND at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

METHODS

A prospective database was used to identify all patients with a positive SLN from 1992 to 2008. Patient and tumor characteristics, number of positive SLNs, recurrence pattern, reason for not performing a CLND, and current status were evaluated.

RESULTS

There were 2269 patients who underwent SLN biopsy. Three hundred thirteen had a positive SLN, of whom 271 (87%) had a CLND and 42 (13%) did not. Patients in the no-CLND group were older (median age 70 vs. 56 years, P < .01), and had a trend toward thicker melanomas (3.5 vs. 2.8 mm, P < .06). A significantly higher percentage of no- CLND patients had lower-extremity melanomas (40% vs. 13% CLND; P < .01). The most common reason for not performing a CLND was patient refusal (45%). There were similar rates and patterns of recurrence between the two groups. Recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival were also similar between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It remains unclear whether CLND must be performed in all melanoma patients with a positive SLN. For selected informed patients who choose not to participate in the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial II trial, or in centers where the trial is not available, nodal observation may be an acceptable option.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy and melanoma: 2010 update Part II

This article will discuss the evidence for and against the therapeutic efficacy of early removal of potentially affected lymph nodes, morbidity associated with sentinel lymph node biopsy and completion lymphadenectomy, current guidelines regarding patient selection for sentinel lymph node biopsy, and the remaining questions that ongoing clinical trials are attempting to answer. The Sunbelt Melanoma Trial and the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trials I and II will be discussed in detail.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be able to discuss the data regarding early surgical removal of lymph nodes and its effect on the overall survival of melanoma patients, be able to discuss the potential benefits and morbidity associated with complete lymph node dissection, and to summarize the ongoing trials aimed at addressing the question of therapeutic value of early surgical treatment of regional lymph nodes that may contain micrometastases.

Prognostic significance of a positive nonsentinel lymph node in cutaneous melanoma

PURPOSE

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy provides important prognostic information for patients with cutaneous melanoma. There may be additional prognostic significance to melanoma spreading from the SLN to nonsentinel lymph nodes (NSLN). We examined the implications of a positive NSLN for overall and distant disease-free survival.

METHODS

Using a prospectively maintained, Institutional Review Board-approved melanoma database we studied patients who had a cutaneous melanoma, a positive SLN, and a completion lymph node dissection (CLND). Survival was determined using a combination of hospital records and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to further characterize predictors of overall and distant disease-free survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to generate survival curves.

RESULTS

A total of 429 patients with positive SLN biopsies were identified, with at least one positive NSLN identified in 71 (17%). Median follow-up time was 36.8 months. Presence of a positive NSLN was significantly associated with poor outcome, although long-term survival was possible. Presence of ulceration, high mitotic rate, angiolymphatic invasion, total number of positive nodes, and volume of disease>1% in the SLN were significant predictors of survival on univariate analysis, but lost significance on multivariate. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed several predictors of overall survival: increasing age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, P<0.01], Breslow depth (HR 1.76, P<0.01), presence of extracapsular extension in the SLN (HR 2.39, P<0.01), and positive NSLN (HR 1.92, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Among node-positive melanoma patients, presence of a positive NSLN is a highly significant poor prognostic sign, even after considering the total number of positive nodes and volume of disease in the SLN. CLND after a positive SLN provides this important prognostic information.

Positive nonsentinel node status predicts mortality in patients with cutaneous melanoma

While sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLN) is a highly accurate and well-tolerated procedure for patients with cutaneous melanoma, the role of the completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for patients with positive SLN biopsy remains unknown. This study aimed to look at the prognostic value of a positive nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN). A prospectively maintained database identified 222 patients with cutaneous melanoma and a positive SLN biopsy, without evidence of distant disease. All of these patients underwent CLND, and 37 patients (17%) had positive NSLN. With median follow-up of 33 months, patients with negative NSLN had median survival of 104 months, while patients with positive NSLN had median survival of 36 months (p < 0.001). There were no survivors in the patients with positive NSLN beyond 6 years. When patients with an equal number of positive nodes were analyzed, the presence of a positive NSLN was still associated with worse melanoma-specific survival (66 months for NSLN- versus 34 months for NSLN+, p = 0.04). While increasing age, tumor thickness, and male sex were associated with an increased risk of death on multivariate analysis, a positive NSLN was the most important predictor of survival (hazard ratio 2.5). We conclude that positive NSLN is an independent predictor of disease-specific survival in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Microscopic tumor burden in sentinel lymph nodes predicts synchronous nonsentinel lymph node involvement in patients with melanoma

PURPOSE

We and others have demonstrated that additional positive lymph nodes (LNs) are identified in only 8% to 33% of patients with melanoma who have positive sentinel LNs (SLNs) and undergo complete therapeutic LN dissection (cTLND). We sought to determine predictors of additional regional LN involvement in patients with positive SLNs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with clinically node-negative melanoma who underwent SLN biopsy (1991 to 2003) and had positive SLNs were identified. Clinicopathologic factors, including extent of microscopic disease within SLNs, were evaluated as potential predictors of positive non-SLNs.

RESULTS

Overall, 359 (16.3%) of the 2,203 patients identified had a positive SLN. Positive non-SLNs were identified in 48 (14.0%) of the 343 patients with positive SLNs who underwent cTLND. On univariate analysis, several measures of SLN microscopic tumor burden, one versus three or more SLNs harvested, tumor thickness more than 2 mm, age older than 50 years, and Clark level higher than III were predictive of positive non-SLNs; primary tumor ulceration and number of positive SLNs had no apparent impact. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, measures of SLN microscopic tumor burden were the most significant independent predictors of positive non-SLNs; tumor thickness more than 2 mm and number of SLNs harvested also predicted additional disease. A model was developed that stratified patients according to their risk for non-SLN involvement.

CONCLUSION

In melanoma patients with positive SLNs, SLN tumor burden, primary tumor thickness, and number of SLNs harvested may be useful in identifying a group at low risk for positive non-SLNs and be spared the potential morbidity of a cTLND.

Complete lymph node dissection for sentinel node-positive melanoma: assessment of practice patterns in the United States

BACKGROUND

Currently, complete lymph node dissection (CLND) is recommended after identification of a metastatic lymph node by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Guidelines suggest that CLND should be performed as a separate procedure, and a sufficient number of nodes should be examined. Our objective was to examine the utilization, timing, and adequacy of CLND for melanoma in the United States.

METHODS

From the National Cancer Data Base, patients diagnosed with stage I to III melanoma during 2004-2005 were identified. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with CLND utilization, timing (separate operation from SLNB), and adequacy (examination of > or = 10 nodes).

RESULTS

Of the 44,548 patients identified, 47.5% were pathologic stage IA, 23.8% stage IB, 14.1% stage II, and 14.6% stage III. Of the 17% (2942 of 17,524) with nodal metastases on SLNB, only 50% underwent a CLND. Patients were significantly less likely to undergo a CLND after SLNB if > 75 years old or had lower extremity melanomas. Of the patients who underwent a CLND, only 42% underwent the CLND at a separate procedure after the SLNB. Of those who underwent a CLND, 69.2% had > or = 10 nodes examined. Patients were significantly less likely to have > or = 10 nodes examined if they were > 75 years old or had lower extremity melanomas. Patients treated at NCCN/NCI-designated centers were significantly more likely to undergo nodal evaluation in concordance with established guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

Only half of patients with sentinel node-positive melanoma underwent CLND. Quality surveillance measures are needed to monitor, standardize, and improve the care of patients with malignant melanoma.

Isolated tumor cells in the sentinel node affect long-term prognosis of patients with melanoma

BACKGROUND

The clinical significance of isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in the melanoma-draining sentinel nodes (SNs) is unclear.

METHODS

Records of patients who underwent SN biopsy (SNB) for stage I/II melanoma at our institute between 1991 and 2003 were reviewed to identify patients whose SNs were tumor-free or contained only ITC (<or=0.2 mm). Tumor-positive SNs were reevaluated by the study pathologist to confirm the diagnosis and microstage the SN. Characteristics of the primary melanoma, tumor status of regional lymph nodes, and other prognostic variables were recorded. Melanoma-specific survival (MSS) rates were compared by the log-rank test.

RESULTS

Of 1,382 patients who underwent SNB, 1,168 (85%) had tumor-free SNs; among the 214 remaining patients with tumor-positive SNs, 57 had metastases limited to ITC. Completion lymphadenectomy (CLND) was performed in 52 of 57 patients: six (12%) had metastases in nonsentinel nodes (NSNs). At a median follow-up of 57 months, 5-year and 10-year MSS was significantly higher (P = .02) for the 1168 patients with tumor-negative SNs (94 +/- 1% and 87 +/- 2%, respectively) than the 57 patients with ITC-positive SNs (89 +/- 4% and 80 +/- 7%, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified ITC (P = .002), Breslow's thickness (P < .0001), ulceration (P < .0001), and primary site (P = .04) as significant for MSS.

CONCLUSION

Patients with ITC in SNs have a significantly higher risk of melanoma-specific death than those with tumor-negative SNs. The 12% incidence of nonsentinel node metastasis is similar to rates reported for patients with more extensive SN involvement. Patients with ITC should be considered for CLND.

Yield and Predictors of Radiologic Studies for Identifying Distant Metastases in Melanoma Patients with a Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

BACKGROUND

It is common to obtain radiological studies around the time of a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) to exclude patients with distant metastases from completion lymph node dissection. The yield of such a work-up is unknown.

METHODS

Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Medical records were reviewed.

RESULTS

Over an 8-year period, 181 patients had a positive SLNB. At least one study (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain; chest x-ray; computed tomography of the thorax, abdomen, or pelvis; positron-emission tomography scan; or bone scan) was obtained around the time of SLNB in 178 patients (98%). Studies were obtained after SLNB in 107 patients (59%). Studies ordered after SLNB resulted in indeterminate findings in 51 patients (48% of those studied). Among patients tested after SLNB, four were found to have metastatic disease (positive rate 3.7%). All of these patients had both a thick melanoma and macrometastasis within the SLN. The number of patients with indeterminate findings would be decreased and the yield of the work-up increased by 4 fold, by restricting the work-up to those with thick melanoma and macrometastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiological studies obtained after a positive SLN produce indeterminate findings in about half of the patients and identify distant disease in 3.7%. Restricting work-up to patients with thick melanoma and macrometastasis on SLNB would spare patients from indeterminate findings and increase the yield of the evaluation.