Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Recurrent Melanoma: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is standard for primary cutaneous melanoma.
• Limited data exist on SLNB for locally recurrent (LR) or in-transit (IT) melanoma.
• Assessing SLNB in LR/IT melanoma is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the success rate of SLNB in patients with LR/IT melanoma.
• Determine the positivity rate of SLNB in this patient group.
• Assess the prognostic value of SLNB for LR/IT melanoma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of SLNB data from three centers (1997-present).
• Included 107 patients with LR or IT melanoma.
• Analyzed SLNB success, positivity, and correlation with outcomes.

Main Results:

• SLNB was successful in 96% of cases.
• SLNB positivity rate was 40% (41/107 patients).
• Positive SLNB correlated with shorter time to progression and a trend towards poorer survival.

Conclusions:

• SLNB is a feasible and successful procedure for LR/IT melanoma, even with prior SLNB.
• SLNB positivity (40%) and nonsentinel node metastasis (37%) rates are significant.
• SLNB provides valuable prognostic information and guides management for LR/IT melanoma.