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Host and Tumor Factors in Nodal Metastasis

Vernon K. Sondak, MD; Jane L. Messina, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2008;144(4):536-537.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Metastasis of melanoma to regional lymph nodes is readily identified by sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with melanoma, while clearly not improving survival in patients with negative SLNs,¹ offers other noteworthy advantages that justify the minor increase in morbidity over wide excision alone. These include superior staging and prognostication^1-2; improved relapse-free survival, with more patients alive and free from relapse at 5 years postoperatively¹; improved regional control and potentially less morbidity compared with node dissection performed because of palpable metastases³; and, perhaps, improved survival in patients with positive SLNs.¹ Another underappreciated value of SLN biopsy is enhancement of our understanding of the metastatic process. Available prognostic factors, based on clinical parameters and histologic findings in the primary tumor, are limited in their ability to reliably determine which patients will manifest SLN metastasis or . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Lymphatic Invasion Identified by Monoclonal Antibody D2-40, Younger Age, and Ulceration: Predictors of Sentinel Lymph Node Involvement in Primary Cutaneous Melanoma
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