title: Sentinel lymphadenectomy for staging patients with intermediate-level melanoma.
abstract: Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) as originally described by D.L. Morton et al. (Surg Oncol Clin North Am 1992;1:247-59), is currently being used at most tertiary institutions for staging patients with intermediate-level melanomas. Identification and subsequent surgical resection of occult metastasis before the development of clinical disease may improve survival in these patients. This study is a retrospective review of patients with intermediate melanomas treated by the senior author (P.S.D.). Isosulfan blue dye and a radioactive technetium-labeled dye were used to identify the sentinel node. Sentinel nodes were evaluated by routine hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining for S-100 and HMB-45, and later in the study with multipanel reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. All patients were followed closely. Fifty-seven patients with primary melanoma were evaluated between December 1995 and June 1998. Thirty-two patients underwent SLND; two patients underwent SLND on two separate drainage basins, for a total of 34 procedures. The median age was 49 years (range, 19-77). There were 11 females and 21 males. The locations of the primary melanoma were: head and neck, seven; extremity, 8; and trunk, 18; 1 patient had a dual primary melanoma at presentation. Clark's levels of invasion among the patients were level III, 5; and level IV, 27; median Breslow thickness was 1.4 mm (range, 0.45-3.8 mm). A sentinel node was not identified in four procedures (11.1%). Twenty-two nodes (73%) were negative by all methods, and eight (27%) were positive by at least one method. All positive patients underwent complete lymphadenectomy, and routine hematoxylin and eosin stains identified no additional positive nodes. Median follow-up was 21 months (6-36 months). Two patients developed recurrent disease. The other 30 patients remain disease free at last follow-up. SLND is a low-morbidity technique that accurately stages patients with intermediate-level melanoma. Early intervention with complete therapeutic lymphadenectomy and possible interferon therapy may improve the survival of patients with stage III melanoma. A complete discussion of the technique for SLND and an update of this data is presented.
authors.affiliation: Southeastern Surgical Oncology and the Division of Surgical Oncology, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia 31201, USA.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Cahoon
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Dale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006416:Hematoxylin; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C025484:iso-sulfan blue; D007372:Interferons; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin