Sentinel lymph node biopsy in malignant melanoma

doi:10.1136/bmj.39519.646424.BE

BMJ 2008;336:902-903 (26 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39519.646424.BE

Editorials

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in malignant melanoma

Is unnecessary as clinically important micrometastases can beidentified by ultrasound

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

When melanoma spreads, it invariably does so by the lymphaticsystem. The first lymph node to be affected is called the sentinelnode, and this node can be identified by injecting dye and aradioactive tracer at the primary tumour site. During sentinellymph node biopsy, the sentinel node is located by a hand held ${gamma}$ probe and confirmed as the sentinel node using blue dye staining;it is then removed for histology. About 80% of patients haveno melanoma in the sentinel node. In the remaining patients,the tumour burden varies from tiny deposits of melanoma in thesubcapsular sinus to complete replacement of several sentinelnodes with extracapsular spread. Patients who are sentinel nodenegative have a better prognosis than those who are sentinelnode positive, and the prognosis worsens as the tumour burdenincreases. But evidence is accumulating that some tiny depositsof melanoma in the sentinel node . . . [Full text of this article]

J Meirion Thomas, consultant surgeon

¹ Royal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ

meirion@roseway.demon.co.uk

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

Technorati What's this?

Let’s get back to basics in managing melanoma: Anthony Dixon
BMJ 2008 336: 1033. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Dixon, A. (2008). Let's get back to basics in managing melanoma. BMJ 336: 1033-1033 [Full text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Sentinel-node biopsy:"standard of care" for the staging of melanoma: Malcolm R. Kell
bmj.com, 26 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in malignant melanoma: Nighat Butt, et al.
bmj.com, 26 Apr 2008 [Full text]
SLNB: Crucial prognostic tool for patients and clinicians: David G Samuel
bmj.com, 27 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Lets get back to the basics: Anthony Dixon
bmj.com, 29 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Melanoma: Carlos Garcia
bmj.com, 29 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Surveillance rather than Sentinel Node Biopsy for Malignant Melanoma: Andrew J Hayes
bmj.com, 29 Apr 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel Node Biopsy in Patients with Primary Cutaneous Melanoma: Michael Sladden
bmj.com, 1 May 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel Node biopsy for melanoma: Barry Powell
bmj.com, 2 May 2008 [Full text]
Why Should a Surgeon Leave Cancer Cells Behind?: Ilkka Koskivuo
bmj.com, 4 May 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in melanoma: J Meirion Thomas
bmj.com, 7 May 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in malignant melanoma: Nicholas Cawrse, et al.
bmj.com, 14 May 2008 [Full text]
Sentinel lymph node biopsy has an important role in the management of melanoma: Rachel A Abbott, et al.
bmj.com, 21 May 2008 [Full text]
Corrections to 'Sentinel lymph node biopsy has an important role in the management of melanoma': Rachel A Abbott, et al.
bmj.com, 22 May 2008 [Full text]
A personal experience of sentinel lymph node biopsy: Perry N Board
bmj.com, 23 May 2008 [Full text]
What is a pathologically negative nodal basin?: Gary L Ross
bmj.com, 27 May 2008 [Full text]