title: Improved Survival in Male Melanoma Patients in the Era of Sentinel Node Biopsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sentinel node biopsy is a standard method for nodal staging in patients with clinically localized cutaneous melanoma, but the survival advantage of sentinel node biopsy remains unsolved. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the survival benefit of sentinel node biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 305 prospective melanoma patients undergoing sentinel node biopsy were compared with 616 retrospective control patients with clinically localized melanoma whom have not undergone sentinel node biopsy. Survival differences were calculated with the median follow-up time of 71 months in sentinel node biopsy patients and 74 months in control patients. Analyses were calculated overall and separately in males and females.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, there were no differences in relapse-free survival or cancer-specific survival between sentinel node biopsy patients and control patients. Male sentinel node biopsy patients had significantly higher relapse-free survival ( P = 0.021) and cancer-specific survival ( P = 0.024) than control patients. In females, no differences were found. Cancer-specific survival rates at 5 years were 87.8% in sentinel node biopsy patients and 85.2% in controls overall with 88.3% in male sentinel node biopsy patients and 80.6% in male controls and 87.3% in female sentinel node biopsy patients and 89.8% in female controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sentinel node biopsy did not improve survival in melanoma patients overall. While females had no differences in survival, males had significantly improved relapse-free survival and cancer-specific survival following sentinel node biopsy.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Plastic and General Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koskivuo
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Oncology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vihinen
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäki
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Talve
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vahlberg
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Plastic and General Surgery, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suominen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Melanoma; gender; prognosis; recurrence; sentinel node biopsy; survival