Predictive Factors for False Negative Sentinel Lymph Node in Melanoma Patients

Abstract

Our data confirm that SLNB is a useful technique for staging melanoma patients. However, in patients with negative SLNB, a closer follow-up is recommended when ulceration is present. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.

Prognostic value of sentinel lymph node biopsy in 121 low-risk melanomas (tumour thickness <1.00 mm) on the basis of a long-term follow-up

“…One of our five patients with progression had a nodal recurrence in the previously negative SLN area which led to a false-negative rate of 16.7%. Several investigations have found false-negative SLN rates in melanoma patients in the range 0.6-32.1% [33][34][35][36][37]. The highest false-negative rates have been reported for head and neck melanomas [33], which is in the line with our investigation in which there was one patient who had a false-negative SLN in the submandibular region.…”

“…A false-negative SLN is more likely to occur when a single SLN is harvested, which was not the case in our patient with a total of six excised SLNs [33]. According to Panasiti et al, ulceration of the primary melanoma is another risk factor for a [35]. Our patient with the false-negative SLN, however, had a lentigo maligna melanoma (tumour thickness 0.86 mm) on the right temple without ulceration.…”

False‐Negative Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Head and Neck Melanoma

“…A difference in survival between false-negative and positive SLNB patients has been observed but has not always been proven to be statistically significant. 11,12,23,24 Patients with false-negative SLNB have similar overall survival to patients treated with wide local excision without SLNB who then experience a regional recurrence. 9 Conversely, patients with microscopic nodal metastasis have improved overall survival when compared with patients with macroscopic nodal metastasis.…”

Effects of Previous Surgery on the Detection of Sentinel Nodes in Women With Vulvar Cancer

“…In one of these patients, the primary tumor was ulcerated and very heavily inflamed, which may have contributed to a falsenegative SN. 14,22,23 The other patient had a melanoma and died 22 years later. The fact that her primary tumor was a melanoma does not appear to have contributed to false negativity, as recently demonstrated by Trifirò et al 24 When excluding the patients who do not meet the requirements of Van der Zee et al, 4 only 1 false-negative case remains.…”