title: Surgical techniques of melanoma and sentinel node biopsy.
abstract: The adequacy of surgical treatment of melanoma patients is the most important milestone in the natural history of the disease, once the diagnosis has been confirmed. Surgery plays a fundamental role in the initial stages of the disease, ie, to remove the primary lesion and to excise accurately the locoregional metastases. On the contrary, the impact of a surgical indication to treat distant metastases has never been confirmed in a prospective study; thus, there are no standard guidelines and it represents a decision to be discussed with each individual patient.
authors.affiliation: Melanoma Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Testori
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mozzillo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*