Discussing sentinel lymph node biopsy with your melanoma patients
Baldwin, B.T.; Cherpelis, B.S.; Fenske, N.A.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology Jdd 9(7): 790-792
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 1545-9616 PMID: 20677534 Document Number: 12078
Sentinel lymph node biopsy, indicated for stage 1B/2 melanoma may be an underutilized diagnostic modality. Experts in the field agree that sentinel lymph node biopsy should be offered to patients with T1 melanomas with primary tumor ulceration, a mitotic rate greater than or equal to 1/mm2, and/or Clark level IV/V invasion especially if tumor thickness exceeds 0.75 mm. It is the responsibility of practitioners to characterize patients as eligible or non-eligible for the sentinel node procedure. Furthermore, it is important to obtain a fully informed consent and explain to patients the statistics of the progonostic information garnered by the test.
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