title: Quantitative analysis of detected sentinel lymph nodes and the incidence of micrometastases using two different methods of surgical melanoma treatment--pilot study.
abstract: The aim of our study was to compare the number of detected sentinel lymph nodes and the incidence of micrometastases between two groups of patients with cutaneous melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 patients were divided in to two groups: group V and group D. Group V patients (50) with melanoma underwent a single-stage surgery--radical excision of the tumour with sentinel lymph node biopsy (study group "V"). Group D patients (50) with melanoma underwent two-stage surgery; initially primary diagnostic excision of the tumour (0.5 cm from margins of the lesion) followed by a radical re-excision of the post-operative scar and sentinel lymph node biopsy (study group "D").
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study groups "V" and "D" were tested for homogeneity with regard to age, melanoma thickness, location of melanoma, type of melanoma, and ulceration. The groups were found to be homogenous. The average number of removed sentinel lymph nodes in group "D" was 1.0 more than in group "V" (p < 0.05). The averages were 3.7 and 2.7 respectively with a SD of 1.8. The relationship between the SL node staining and type of surgery was (p < 0.05). 49.6% stained radioactive sentinel lymphnodes at the time of surgery was found in group "V", while 33.9% in group "D".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using two different early-stage cutaneous melanoma management techniques significantly more sentinel lymph nodes (p = 0.006) were detected using the two-stage surgery approach. However, there was no significant difference between the two approaches regarding the number of sentinel lymph nodes with micrometastases that were detected and excised.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kaikaris
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Samsanavicius
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maslauskas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimdeika
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuprionis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mickevicius
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pundzius
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D061305:Lymphoscintigraphy; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D061206:Neoplasm Micrometastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013194:Staining and Labeling