Sentinel lymph node assessment in melanoma: current state and future directions.
Tiffany W ChengEmily HartsoughAlessio GiubellinoPublished in: Histopathology (2023)
Assessment of sentinel lymph node status is an important step in the evaluation of patients with melanoma for both prognosis and therapeutic management. Pathologists have an important role in this evaluation. The methodologies have varied over time, from the evaluation of dimensions of metastatic burden to determination of the location of the tumour deposits within the lymph node to precise cell counting. However, no single method of sentinel lymph node tumour burden measurement can currently be used as a sole independent predictor of prognosis. The management approach to sentinel lymph node-positive patients has also evolved over time, with a more conservative approach recently recognised for selected cases. This review gives an overview of past and current status in the field with a glimpse into future directions based on prior experiences and clinical trials.
Keyphrases
- sentinel lymph node
- lymph node
- current status
- neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- early stage
- clinical trial
- end stage renal disease
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- squamous cell carcinoma
- small cell lung cancer
- chronic kidney disease
- peritoneal dialysis
- risk factors
- mental health
- randomized controlled trial
- solid phase extraction
- liquid chromatography
- phase iii