Is superficial inguinal node dissection adequate for regional control of malignant melanoma in patients with N1...

The optimum extent of surgery for inguinal nodal metastases due to melanoma remains controversial. Recent evidence suggests a conservative superficial groin dissection (SGD) may provide adequate regional control.

To evaluate patients with N1 stage disease treated with SGD to determine the recurrence rates and to evaluate whether SGD was adequate for regional control in these patients.

Patients undergoing SGD between April 2005 and April 2012 were retrospectively analysed from a prospectively collected database.

Sixty patients were treated by SGD of which 40 had palpable disease and 20 had a positive sentinel node. Overall median follow-up was 38 months, with median follow-up for the SNB group being 29 months and that of the PD group 49 months. Three patients (5%) developed groin recurrence following SGD. All patients recurred within the superficial site of surgery; there was no deep inguinal or pelvic recurrence. Distant recurrence occurred in 22 patients (36.7%), with 21 of these patients coming from the PD group and one from the SNB group. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Overall survival at 5 years was 70.3%. Survival at 5 years in the PD group was 63.8% and in the SNB group it was 90.9%, this difference was approaching significance (p = 0.08).

SGD appears adequate for local disease control in patients with N1 sentinel node positive disease. Longer term followup for N1 palpable disease is required to determine the suitability of SGD for this group of patients.