title: A 10-year, single-institution analysis of clinicopathologic features and sentinel lymph node biopsy in thin melanomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 2009 American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria for thin cutaneous melanomas recommend staging sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy (SLNB) for select stage IB tumors. SLNB in this population remains controversial because of low rates of node positivity and inconsistent prognostic parameters.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the association between multiple clinicopathologic features and SLNB result, and clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and pathologic parameters from patients with melanomas less than or equal to 1.00 mm receiving wide local excision with SLNB at our institution from 2001 through 2010 were recorded. Analysis for any statistically significant relationships between recorded parameters and SLN results and outcome were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 189 cases yielded 3 positive SLNBs (1.6%). Disease progression occurred in 6 cases (3.2%). Positive SLNB predicted distant metastasis and death from disease (P = .0017). Mitotic rate was not associated with a positive SLNB result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The follow-up time for this study was limited (mean = 40.7 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm a statistically significant relationship between SLNB result and likelihood for distant metastasis in thin melanoma. There was a trend for a relationship between mitotic rate and clinical outcome. This relationship reached statistical significance at a mitotic rate of greater than 3 mitoses/mm(2).
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Chelsea
authors: C
authors: Cooper
authors: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Jeffrey D
authors: JD
authors: Wayne
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Elizabeth M
authors: EM
authors: Damstetter
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Martini
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern-Austin, Austin, Texas.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Gordon
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Guitart
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Dennis P
authors: DP
authors: West
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Beatrice
authors: B
authors: Nardone
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Alfred
authors: A
authors: Rademaker
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: Pedram.Gerami@nmff.org.
authors: Pedram
authors: P
authors: Gerami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: AJCC; American Joint Committee on Cancer; SLN; SLNB; melanoma prognosis; mitotic rate; sentinel lymph node; sentinel lymph node biopsy; thin melanoma; ulceration