Association of sentinel lymph node biopsy with survival for head and neck melanoma: survival analysis using the SEER database.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) provides prognostic information for melanoma; however, a survival benefit has not been demonstrated.

Objective

To assess the association of SLNB with survival for melanoma arising in head and neck subsites (HNM).

Design, setting, and participants

Propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to compare US patients with HNM meeting current recommendations for SLNB, treated from 2004 to 2011 with either (1) SLNB with or without neck dissection, or (2) no SLNB or neck dissection.

Interventions

SLNB with or without neck dissection.

Main outcomes and measures

Disease-specific survival (DSS) estimates based on the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox

SUBMITTER: Sperry SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4294459 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature