title: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the importance of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with cutaneous melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety consecutive non-randomized patients with stages I and II melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy were followed up prospectively for six years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were followed up for a mean period of 30 months. Their mean age was 53.3 years, ranging from 12 to 83 years. Thirty patients were male (37.5%) and 50, female (62.5%). Sentinel lymph node was positive in 32.5% and negative in 67.5%. It was found that the thicker the tumor, the greater the incidence of positive sentinel lymph nodes. In the group of patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes, recurrence occurred in 43.5%, but in those with negative sentinel lymph nodes, in only 7%, what points out to the association of tumor recurrence and positive sentinel lymph nodes. There were no major postoperative complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sentinel lymph node biopsy was demonstrated to be a safe method for selecting patients who need therapeutic lymphadenectomy.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Skin Tumors, Plastic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Federal University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. drandreafernandes@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Andrea Fernandes de
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Ivan Dunshee de Abranches Oliveira
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Thaís Cardoso de Mello
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tucunduva
authors.forename: Luciana Garbelini
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Sanches
authors.forename: Renato Santos
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Oliveira Filho
authors.forename: Mílvia Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Simões e Silva Enokihara
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery