Gene Expression Profile Testing Offers Clinicians a Path to Safely Avoid SLNB in Low-Risk Melanoma Patients
Source: Dermatology Times, March 2025
New prospective data from the DECIDE study reinforce the role of the 31-GEP test in clinical decision-making.
A new analysis from the prospective, multicenter DECIDE study, recently published in Cancer Medicine, found that patients with cutaneous melanoma and a Class 1A 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) result had a 100% 3-year recurrence-free survival rate, even when sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was not performed. These findings suggest that integrating the 31-GEP test into clinical decision-making may safely guide select patients away from undergoing SLNB, reducing costs and surgical risks without compromising early outcomes.
To better understand the real-world implications of this study and how it may impact melanoma care, Dermatology Times spoke with surgical oncologist J. Michael Guenther, MD, lead author of the study, and Matthew Goldberg, MD, senior vice president, medical at Castle Biosciences. Both experts discussed how genetic testing is transforming melanoma diagnostics, minimizing unnecessary SLNBs, and paving the way for more personalized care.