DOEPKER MATTHEWP, THOMPSON ZACHARYJ, HARB JENNIFERN, MESSINA JANEL, PULEO CHRISTOPHERA, EGAN KATHLEENM, SARNAIK AMODA, GONZALEZ RICARDOJ, SONDAK VERNONK, ZAGER JONATHANS. Dermal melanoma: A report on prognosis, outcomes, and the utility of sentinel lymph node biopsy.
J Surg Oncol 2016;
113:98-102. [PMID:
26661407 PMCID:
PMC4904728 DOI:
10.1002/jso.24088]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Historically dermal melanoma (DM) has been labeled as either stage IIIB (in-transit) or stage IV (M1a) disease. We sought to investigate the natural history of DM and the utility and prognostic significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).
METHODS
Patients with DM undergoing SLNB at a single center from 1998 to 2009 were identified.
RESULTS
Eighty-three patients met criteria, 10 (12%) patients had a positive SLNB. Of those, 5 (50%) recurred (all with distant disease). Twenty-one (29%) of the 73 SLNB negative patients recurred and of those, 15 (71%) developed distant metastases, whereas 6 (29%) developed local or regional recurrence, including two false-negative regional nodal recurrences. No in-transit recurrences were recorded. Five-year recurrence-free and disease-specific survival was significantly better for patients with a negative SLNB versus positive SLNB (56.8% vs. 22.2% P = 0.02, 81.1% vs. 61.0%, P = 0.05, respectively).
CONCLUSION
SLNB has prognostic significance for RFS and DSS, and should be utilized in the management of DM based on a >10% yield and low false-negative rate. Our data demonstrate patients with DM do not recur in an in-transit fashion, which along with the survival outcomes suggest the behavior of DM is consistent with primary cutaneous melanoma of similar thickness rather than an isolated in-transit or distant dermal metastasis from a regressed cutaneous primary.
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