title: The prognosis of melanoma patients with metastases to two or more lymph node areas.
abstract: The prognosis of melanoma patients who present with metastatic involvement of two or more noncontiguous lymph node regions before the detection of extranodal metastases has not been previously reported. We identified 21 patients with metastatic melanoma in at least two nodal basins in a review of 175 patients with melanoma undergoing lymphadenectomy at the National Cancer Institute. The median survival time of these patients was 46 months, with 55%, 27%, and 17% of the patients alive 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, after the second lymphadenectomy. Because the prognosis of melanoma patients with metastases to two or more regional nodal areas appears equivalent to that of patients with metastatic involvement of only one regional node site, lymphadenectomy of the involved groups should be performed with therapeutically curative intent.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Venzon
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008130:Lomustine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D008130:Lomustine; D003606:Dacarbazine