The Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trials indicate that there are no overall or melanoma-specificsurvival advantages to performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) followed by immediate completionlymph node dissection compared with wide excision and observation for patients with positive sentinelnodes. These results make SLNB solely a staging procedure. The role of SLNB in the management ofpatients with melanoma deserves reappraisal. The potential marginal benefit of SLNB beyond the clinicaland pathologic features of the melanoma has not been well studied. The use of sentinel lymph node statusalone to accept and stratify patients into trials or to receive adjuvant treatment is not rational.

Item Type:	Contribution to Refereed Journal
Keywords:	Breslow thickness, hazard ration, immediate completion lymph node dissection, melanoma multicenter selective lymphadenectomy trial, prognosis, sentinel lymph node biopsy, survival
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Health services and systems
Research Field:	Primary health care
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Other health
Objective Field:	Other health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Sladden, M (Dr Mike Sladden)
ID Code:	133907
Year Published:	2019 (online first 2018)
Web of Science® Times Cited:	12
Deposited By:	Medicine
Deposited On:	2019-07-15
Last Modified:	2021-01-05
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