Sentinel lymph node positivity more likely in younger patients with T1a melanomas

Source: Healio, November 2022

Among patients with T1a cutaneous melanomas, younger age and tumors in the head/neck region were most likely to demonstrate sentinel lymph node positivity, according to a study.

“Sentinel lymph node biopsy is not routinely recommended for T1a cutaneous melanoma due to the overall low risk of positivity,” Adrienne B. Shannon, MD, of the division of endocrine and oncologic surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues wrote. “Prognostic factors for SLN positivity in this population are poorly characterized.”

The multi-center cohort study included 965 patients with T1a melanoma from five high-volume centers between 2001 and 2020 Eligible patients had non-ulcerated cutaneous melanoma measuring less than 0.8 mm and were treated with wide local excision with sentinel lymph node biopsy. The patients were dichotomized by age into those aged 42 years and younger and those aged older than 42 years.
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