Is intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy effective and safe in early-stage melanoma?

摘要

Studies in breast cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, lung cancer and almost all solid malignancies that spread to lymph nodes have confirmed that metastatic cells move in an orderly manner from the primary site through the lymphatic system to one or two regional sentinel nodes. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy (LM/SLNB) is used to identify occult nodal metastases and thus stage the regional nodal basin to target the subset of patients who would benefit from complete lymph node dissection (CLND). LM/SLNB has become an important and well established technique for the staging of melanoma.