title: Long-term survival analysis and clinical follow-up in acral lentiginous malignant melanoma undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy in korean patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) with clinically uninvolved regional lymph nodes, sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is the most powerful indicator of both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). However, no studies on the long-term survival and clinical follow-up of Korean patients with acral lentiginous MM (ALM) undergoing SLN biopsy (SLNB) have been published.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical prognosis and long-term survival of Korean patients with ALM according to SLN status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four ALM patients undergoing SLNB were included in this study. We evaluated clinical and histopathological follow-up data such as the stage of disease, treatment, recurrence, and metastasis, and analyzed OS and DFS according to SLN status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up time was 60.5 months (range 3~127 months). Positive SLNs were noted in 14 patients (41.2%). Patients with negative SLNs had better OS and DFS than those with positive SLNs (p<0.05). Increased Breslow thickness was associated with short OS and DFS (p<0.05), and female patients showed better DFS than male patients (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study on the long-term survival and clinical follow-up of patients undergoing SLNB for ALM in Korea. Our findings show that SLN status is an important prognostic factor for predicting OS and DFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Suee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Seoub
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Song
keywords: Acral lentiginous malignant melanoma; Prognosis; Sentinel lymph node biopsy; Survival