Predictors and Survival Impact of False-Negative Sentinel Nodes in Melanoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The status of the sentinel lymph node in melanoma is an important prognostic factor. The clinical predictors and implications of false-negative (FN) biopsy remain debatable.

Methods

We compared patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) [true positive (TP)] and negative SNB with and without regional recurrence [FN, true negative (TN)] from our prospective institutional database.

Results

Among 2986 patients (84 FN, 494 TP, and 2408 TN; median follow-up 93 months), the incidence of FN-SNB was 2.8%. While calculated FN rate was 14.5% [84 FN/(494 TP + 84 FN) × 100], when we accounted for local/in-transit recurrence (LITR) this rate was 8.5% [46 FN/(494 TP + 46 FN) × 100 %]. On multivariate analysis, male gender (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.6, p = 0.018),

SUBMITTER: Lee DY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4984404 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature