Long-term follow-up and survival of patients following a recurrence of melanoma after a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy result

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the predictors and patterns of recurrence of melanoma in patients with a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy result. Design: Retrospective chart review of a prospectively created database of patients with cutaneous melanoma. Setting: Tertiary university hospital. Patients : A total of 515 patients with melanoma underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy without evidence of metastatic disease between 1996 and 2008. Main Outcome Measures: Time to recurrence and overall survival. Results: Of 515 patients, 83 (16%) had a recurrence of melanoma at amedian of 23 months during amedian follow-up of 61 months (range, 1-154 months). Of these 83 patients, 21 had melanoma that metastasized in the studied nodal basin for an in-basin false-negative rate of 4.0%. Patients with recurrence had deeper primary lesions (mean thickness, 2.7 vs 1.8 mm; P