Published in:
01-12-2018 | ASO Author Reflections
ASO Author Reflections: The Sentinel Lymph Node in Melanoma: Now More Important Than Ever
Authors:
Michael E. Egger, MD, MPH, Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD
Published in:
Annals of Surgical Oncology
|
Special Issue 3/2018
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Excerpt
When we began this study, in which we attempted to identify unique gene signatures in the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) that could predict nonsentinel lymph node metastases for patients with melanoma, MSLT II and DeCOG were underway, but the results had not been reported.
1,
2 Anticipating that the results of both studies would be negative, we knew that it would be important to be able to predict the likelihood of nonsentinel lymph node metastases without a completion lymph node dissection (CLND). The status of the nonsentinel lymph node is an incredibly powerful prognostic factor in patients with stage III melanoma. Unfortunately, when we started this study, the only way to determine the status of the nonsentinel lymph nodes was with a potentially morbid lymph node dissection. We were not satisfied with the available predictive tools based on clinical and pathologic factors. Perhaps a molecular approach would prove to be predictive of nonsentinel node metastases. …
