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Response: The value of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the management of head and neck melanoma
Author(s) -
Doting M.H.E.,
de Vries M.,
Plukker J.T.,
Jager P.L.,
Post W.J.,
Suurmeijer A.J.,
Hoekstra H.J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.20688
Subject(s) - medicine , center (category theory) , head and neck , sentinel lymph node , sentinel node , general surgery , surgery , cancer , breast cancer , chemistry , crystallography
To the EditorThe possibility that sentinel lymph node biopsy mayincrease the risk of in-transit metastases, thereby reducing,eliminating, or reversing any potential survival advantageassociated with the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique,is an area of ongoing debate and reects the letter to theeditor of Dr. Alvarado, Dr. Sondak, and Dr. Leong.In a review of the literature Thomas calculated a 20.9%incidence of local or in-transit metastases in those whounderwent complete lymph node dissection because oftumor-positive sentinel lymph nodes and a 5.7% incidencein patients who had tumor-negative sentinel lymph nodesand did not undergo complete lymph node dissection [1].In a study (N ¼250) of the Netherlands Cancer Institutein-transit metastases were found in 23% of the sentinellymphnode-positivegroupandin7%ofthesentinellymphnode-negative group [2]. These percentages are compar-able with the incidence of in-transit metastases that werefound in the UMCG series (N ¼300); 20% and 4%,respectively (