LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY VERSUS LYMPH NODE OBSERVATION IN MELANOMA PATIENTS.

OBJECTIVE: evaluating the influence of sentinel lymph node biopsy without following completion lymph node dissection independent on sentinel lymph node status on the outcome in patients with skin melanoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred nine patients with a primary skin melanoma were randomly assigned to wide excision of the primary tumor and sentinel lymph node biopsy without following completion lymph-node dissection independent on sentinel lymph node status or to wide excision of skin melanoma. Low-dose interferon was administrated in the adjuvant setting.

RESULTS: 5-year disease-free survival rate was (85.1 ± 3.0) % in the wide excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy group and (78.4 ± 2.4) % in the wide excision group (hazard ratio, 0.69; p = 0.006). 5-year overall survival rates were similar in the two groups: (88.6 ± 3.0) % vs. (85.1 ± 2.4) %, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.97; p = 0.42.

CONCLUSION: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with skin melanoma increases disease-free survival rate without influence on overall survival, confirming the diagnostic, not therapeutical, value of this procedure.