No association between smoking and sentinel lymph node metastasis and survival in cutaneous melanoma

Source: MDLinx, August 2019

This retrospective cohort study was undertaken to determine if smoking was correlated with a higher rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis and worse survival in cutaneous melanoma patients using a propensity score matching analysis. Researchers analyzed 762 patients with known smoking status from the melanoma database of the Instituto Valenciano de Oncología who had SLN biopsy between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2016. By smoking status, the patients were matched. In patients with cutaneous melanoma, smoking does not affect SLN metastasis or survival.