title: Twelve years' experience of sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma at a rural New Zealand hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the false-negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) rate for melanoma patients at a rural NZ hospital and the likelihood of further nodal involvement on completion lymph node dissection (CLND).
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients undergoing SLNB for melanoma at this centre were identified from the study period. Basic demographics along with histological data of both the primary lesion and SLNB were collated. Local and regional recurrences were recorded as was mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 2000 and July 2012, 95 patients underwent SLNB for melanoma. Ten patients (11%) underwent CLND after positive SLNB. A further two patients had a median of two additional nodes involved (range 1-3). After a median follow-up period of 65 months (range 47-112), 6 patients suffered nodal recurrence where previously a negative SLNB had been harvested, giving a false-negative rate of 38%. Recurrence occurred a median of 16 months after WLE and SLNB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high false negative-negative rate was observed in this study. For those with a positive SLNB, a further 20% have further nodal involvement on CLND.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Palmerston North Hospital, Mid-Central District Health Board, PO Box 2056, Palmerston North 4440, New Zealand. magda.sakowska@xtra.co.nz.
authors.forename: Magdalena M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sakowska
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Coutts
mesh_terms: D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D049451:Nomograms; D011379:Prognosis; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery