Role of sentinel lymph node biopsy for cutaneous melanoma in elderly patients: preliminary results in a Latin-American population

The Utility of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Elderly Patients with Melanoma

BACKGROUND

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is performed less often for older patients with melanoma. We investigated the association of SLNB and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) in the elderly.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER: 2010-2019) for patients ≥ 70 years with cT2-4N0M0 melanoma. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the impact of SLNB performance and SLN status on MSS at increasing age cutoffs. In addition, we evaluated the association of different factors with SLNB performance using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified 11,548 patients. Sentinel lymph node biopsy occurred in 6754 (58.5%) patients, 1050 (15.5%) of whom had a positive SLN. On adjusted SEER analysis, a negative SLN was independently associated with improved MSS (overall hazard ratio [HR] 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.67) for patients up to 87 years old. Positive SLNB was independently associated with inferior MSS (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.93-1.98). Increasing age groups were significantly associated with decreased SLNB performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is associated with cancer-specific survival and adds prognostic information for elderly patients with melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy performance should not be eliminated in elderly patients based on age alone, unless justified by poor performance status, patient preference, or other surgical contraindications. Decreased SLNB performance with increasing age in our cohort may indicate a missed therapeutic opportunity in the care of elderly patients with melanoma.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma in the older population: A prospective analysis of outcomes

BACKGROUND

The use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the older population, defined as those over 70 years old, has been debated since the adoption of SLNB into routine practice. Interestingly, there remains a paucity of evidence, especially regarding the rates of SLNB positivity, complications, and subsequent adjuvant therapy in those with node positivity.

METHOD

Data on patient's comorbidities, positivity rates, complication rates, and subsequent adjuvant treatments were collected prospectively from 998 patients (644 patients < 70 and 354 patients ≥ 70 years old) between 2016 and 2022.

RESULTS

Patients aged ≥ 70 were found to have a higher prevalence of comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. The mean Breslow thickness was 2.2 and 2.5 in the under and over 70 groups respectively (p = 0.03). The mean mitotic rate was found to be 3.3 in the under 70 s and 4.1 in the over 70 s (p = 0.02). Despite these results, no significant differences were observed in the positivity rates of sentinel lymph node biopsies or in the treatment options selected for positive results. The under 70 s were more likely to experience loss of sensation (p < 0.01), but no difference was found in the total number of complications between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Although patients aged 70 and above had a greater incidence of comorbidities, the study revealed that they had lower complications rates and there was no significant variation in the SLNB positivity rate or chosen treatment options between the two age groups. This study supports the move to physiological rather than chronological age assessments in SLNB of the elderly.

Primary Melanoma Histopathologic Predictors of Sentinel Lymph Node Positivity: A Proposed Scoring System for Risk Assessment and Patient Selection in a Clinical Setting

Background and Objectives: The careful selection of adequate SLNB candidates not only aims at reducing the surgical risk while identifying SLN metastasis, but also plays a crucial role in identifying the patients eligible for adjuvant therapy. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical and histologic aspects of primary melanomas that correlate with the likelihood of a positive SLNB result. Materials and Methods: A total of 101 primary melanoma patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsies were included in the study. General patient demographics were obtained as well as localization and melanoma-specific characteristics of primary melanoma from histologic reports in addition to data derived from SLNB melanoma histopathology reports. Results: The patients with positive SLN results had a statistically significant increased Breslow thickness (3.8 mm vs. 1.97 mm, p = 0.002), higher mitotic index rate (5/mm2 vs. 2/mm2, p = 0.009), as well as the presence of ulceration (68.4% vs. 31.6%, p = 0.007). Univariate regression analysis showed the Breslow thickness (p = 0.008), the mitotic index rate (p = 0.054), the presence of ulceration (p = 0.009), as well as the pT3-4 stage (p = 0.009) to be significant predictors of SLN positivity. The optimal cut-off values for Breslow thickness and the number of mitoses scores were determined based on ROC curve analysis. Using the Breslow thickness, mitotic index rate, presence of ulceration, and pT3-4 stage significant coefficients from the univariate regression model, a chance prediction score was developed. Conclusions: The newly developed and proposed scoring system can aid in patient selection for SLN biopsy by facilitating a more efficient risk assessment in the detection of lymph node metastases in melanoma patients.