Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection in Head and Neck Melanoma has Prognostic Impact on Disease-Free and Overall Survival

Leiter U, Eigentler TK, Haefner HM, Krimmel M, Uslu U, Keim U, Weide B, Breuninger H, Martus P, Garbe C (2015)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

Annals of Surgical Oncology Springer Verlag (Germany)

Book Volume: 22

Pages Range: 4073-80

Journal Issue: 12

DOI: 10.1245/s10434-015-4439-x

Abstract

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) plays an important role in the prognostic classification of melanoma and is now a standard staging procedure. However, due to the complex drainage pattern and the risk of site associated morbidity, the potential survival benefit of SLNB is controversial in head and neck (H&N) melanoma.Patients with primary H&N melanoma with a tumor thickness >=1.00 mm diagnosed in the Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, Germany between 1991 and 2010 were included in this study. Regarding patterns of metastases, disease-free, and overall-survival, 259 patients with SLNB were compared retrospectively to 218 patients without SLNB.The detection of micrometastasis in SLN proved to be a significant prognostic factor in H&N patients [hazard ratio (HR) 3.69, p < 0.0001]. A significant improvement of recurrence-free survival (RFS, p = 0.011), regional lymph node metastasis-free survival (LFS, p = 0.007), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMSF, p = 0.015) was observed for patients with SLNB versus non-SLNB. Furthermore, a trend towards better overall survival (OS) was found (p = 0.053) for the SLNB group.SLNB improved prognostic outcome in H&N melanoma in terms of disease-free and distant metastases survival, reduced subsequent regional lymph node metastases, and showed a trend towards a better OS.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ugur Uslu Department of Dermatology

Involved external institutions

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Leiter, U., Eigentler, T.K., Haefner, H.-M., Krimmel, M., Uslu, U., Keim, U.,... Garbe, C. (2015). Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection in Head and Neck Melanoma has Prognostic Impact on Disease-Free and Overall Survival. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 22(12), 4073-80. https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4439-x

MLA:

Leiter, Ulrike, et al. "Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection in Head and Neck Melanoma has Prognostic Impact on Disease-Free and Overall Survival." Annals of Surgical Oncology 22.12 (2015): 4073-80.

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