Melanoma and Sentinel Node: Which Course should be Taken?

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The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to drain the tumour territory. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was first introduced in the management of melanoma patients in 1992 by Morton et al., Since then, its use has expanded to and become the standard of care in other cancer types. Lymphoscintigraphy is the standard technique for locating this node, and the surgical technique for removing it requires training. Anatomopathology uses standard histology and immunohistochemistry techniques. The aim of this examination is to look for micrometastases, which indicate lymph node invasion. If the sentinel lymph node is healthy, lymph node dissection is unnecessary.