Sentinel Lymph Node Genes to Predict Prognosis in Node-Positive Melanoma Patients

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Melanoma Research

Background:

• Melanoma patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) face heterogeneous prognoses despite Stage III classification.
• Current adjuvant therapies are toxic and expensive, with variable efficacy for this patient group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a gene signature within SLNs for improved risk stratification of melanoma patients with tumor-positive SLNs.
• To develop a more precise prognostic tool beyond existing staging methods.

Main Methods:

• Microarray analysis screened SLN genes in recurrence vs. non-recurrence groups.
• Quantitative RT-PCR validated gene expression in an independent cohort.
• Prognostic accuracy was assessed using AUC and compared to AJCC staging.

Main Results:

• A two-gene signature (PIGR and TFAP2A) demonstrated high prognostic accuracy (AUC=0.864) in SLN-positive melanoma.
• These genes, combined with clinicopathological features, differentiated high- and low-risk patient groups.

Conclusions:

• The identified two-gene SLN signature offers a novel tool for personalized risk assessment in node-positive melanoma.
• This approach may refine treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.