Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
07:51
The Application of 1% Methylene Blue Dye As a Single Technique in Breast Cancer Sentinel Node Biopsy
Published on: June 1, 2019
Sentinel-node biopsy or nodal observation in melanoma
Donald L Morton1, John F Thompson, Alistair J Cochran
1Department of Surgical Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA. mortond@jwci.org
The New England Journal of Medicine
|September 29, 2006
Summary
Sentinel-node biopsy improves disease-free survival in melanoma patients by enabling earlier detection of metastases. This procedure identifies patients who benefit from immediate lymphadenectomy, improving their prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Melanoma staging is crucial for treatment decisions.
- Sentinel-node biopsy (SNB) is a technique to assess regional lymph node involvement.
- The impact of SNB on patient outcomes in primary cutaneous melanoma requires evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the contribution of sentinel-node biopsy (SNB) to patient outcomes in newly diagnosed melanoma.
- To compare outcomes between patients undergoing SNB with immediate lymphadenectomy versus observation with delayed lymphadenectomy.
Main Methods:
- A randomized trial involving 1269 patients with intermediate-thickness primary cutaneous melanoma.
- Patients were assigned to either wide excision with SNB and immediate lymphadenectomy if positive, or wide excision with observation and delayed lymphadenectomy upon relapse.
- Follow-up included assessment of disease-free survival and melanoma-specific survival.
Main Results:
- Sentinel-node biopsy demonstrated a significant improvement in 5-year disease-free survival (78.3% vs. 73.1%, P=0.009).
- Melanoma-specific survival rates were similar between groups (87.1% vs. 86.6%).
- In the SNB group, positive sentinel nodes were the strongest prognostic factor, and immediate lymphadenectomy improved survival in patients with nodal metastases (72.3% vs. 52.4%).
Conclusions:
- Sentinel-node biopsy provides critical prognostic information for staging intermediate-thickness melanomas.
- SNB identifies patients with nodal metastases who benefit from prompt lymphadenectomy, leading to prolonged survival.
- The findings support the routine use of SNB for staging and guiding treatment in eligible melanoma patients.
