Open AccessSLNB and Outcomes in Cutaneous Melanoma of the Head and Neck
Author(s) -
Smith Valerie Alison,
Lentsch Eric J.,
Cunningham Joan E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599811416318a108
Subject(s) - medicine , lymphadenectomy , lymph node , sentinel lymph node , head and neck , melanoma , lymph , epidemiology , surgery , overall survival , survival analysis , oncology , pathology , cancer , cancer research , breast cancer
Objective Among patients with cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck (CMHN) and ≥1 positive sentinel lymph node (SLN): 1) Determine if completion regional lymphadenectomy (RL) is associated with improved survival.2) Determine if survival differs between patients with 1 and >1 positive SLN. Method Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, years 1998 to 2007, we identified 5,399 patients with primary CHNM who underwent excisional surgery and examination of ≥1 lymph node with follow‐up >12 months. Clinicopathologic and outcomes data were examined using chi‐square tests. Results In preliminary analysis, 495 patients had 1 positive node and 387 had >1 positive node. Disease‐specific survival (DSS) was statistically different between these 2 groups (64% and 47%), respectively, chi‐square p1 node were involved ( P =. 112 and. 891 respectively). Conclusion In this simple preliminary analysis, CHNM patients with >1 positive lymph node had poorer survival compared with patients with a single positive lymph node. Among patients with SLN‐positive CHNM, regional lymphadenectomy did not improve survival compared with patients who underwent SLNB alone. Formal survival analyses results will be presented.