Neoadjuvant outperforms adjuvant regimens in resectable advanced Chinese melanoma patients: lymph node preservation as a key immunological advantage.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Regional lymphadenectomy was once considered as the standard treatment for melanoma patients with positive SLNB result, aimed at reducing the risk of recurrence and metastasis. However, recent researches have suggested multiple key roles of regional lymph node clusters in anti-tumor immune responses. Therefore, in the era of immunotherapy, whether lymph node dissection ultimately benefits patients remains to be determined, especially in acral melanoma, the leading subtype in east Asian population, which has a poorer response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 172 patients with resectable advanced melanoma (stage III-IV, M1a) from a tertiary center and categorized them into four groups based on treatment regimens: immunother

SUBMITTER: Hou S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12521139 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature