Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Research Articles

Survival impact of immediate complete lymph node dissection for Chinese acral and cutaneous melanoma with micrometastasis in sentinel nodes: a retrospective study

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) has become a critical part of standard surgical treatment for melanoma with no clinical metastatic evidence. However, for patients with a positive sentinel node, the MSLT-II and DeCOG-SLT trials have shown that immediate complete lymph node dissection (CLND) does not bring further survival benefits. There is still an argument among the Chinese population dominated by acral subtypes on whether CLND can be omitted. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of immediate CLND on relapse-free survival (RFS) in Chinese melanoma patients with a positive sentinel node. Patients with acral or cutaneous melanoma of clinical Stages I–II who received SNB procedure and were detected with nodal micrometastasis were retrospectively collected at Fudan University Cancer Center (FUSCC) from January 2017 to December 2021. The clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors for RFS were analyzed. Out of 381 patients who received SNB in the past 5 years, 130 (34%) cases with SN micrometastasis detected were included in this study. Ninety-nine patients underwent immediate CLND while the other 31 patients received observation alone. Among patients who received CLND, the non-SN(NSN)-positive rate was 22.2%. Most of the clinicopathologic factors were balanced well between the CLND and non-CLND groups. However, more patients in the CLND group were detected with BRAF and NRAS mutation (P = 0.006) and received adjuvant PD-1 monotherapy (P = 0.042) as well. There were slightly fewer N1 patients in the CLND group, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.075). The study found no significant difference in RFS between the two groups (P = 0.184). Even for patients with the acral subtype (P = 0.925), primary T4 lesion (P = 0.769), or presence of ulceration (P = 0.249), immediate CLND did not bring more survival benefits. Immediate CLND did not bring further RFS benefit for Chinese melanoma patients with SN micrometastasis in real-world clinical practice, even for patients with acral subtype or more tumor burden such as thick Breslow invasion and ulceration.

Predictors of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Very Thin Invasive Melanomas.

Melanomas <0.8 mm in Breslow depth have less than 5% risk for nodal positivity. Nonetheless, nodal positivity is prognostic for this group. Early identification of nodal positivity may improve outcomes for these patients. To determine the degree to which ulceration and other high-risk features predict sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity for very thin melanomas. The National Cancer Database was reviewed from 2012 to 2018 for melanoma patients with Breslow thickness < 0.8 mm. Data were analyzed between July 7, 2022, through February 25, 2023. Patients were excluded if data regarding their ulceration status or sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) performance were unknown. We analyzed patient, tumor, and health system factors for their effect on SLN positivity. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regressions. Overall survival (OS) was compared by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Positive nodal metastases were seen in 876 (5.0%) of patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (17,692). Factors significantly associated with nodal positivity on multivariable analysis include: lymphovascular invasion (Odds ratio (OR)= 4.5, p< 0.001), ulceration (OR= 2.6, p < 0.001), mitoses (OR= 2.1, p< 0.001), and nodular subtype (OR= 2.1, p< 0.001). Five-year overall survival was 75% and 92% for patients with positive and negative SLN, respectively. Nodal positivity has prognostic significance for very thin melanomas. In our cohort, the rate of nodal positivity was 5% overall in these patients who underwent SLNB. Specific tumor factors (e.g. lymphovascular invasion, ulceration, mitoses, nodular subtype) were associated with higher rates of SLN metastases and should be used to guide clinicians in choosing which patients will benefit from sentinel lymph node biopsy.

A Nomogram for Identifying HR+/Her2- Breast Cancer Patients with Positive Sentinel Lymph Nodes and Omitted Axillary Lymph Node Dissection Who Need Abemaciclib Therapy.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of abemaciclib in high-risk patients with early-stage HR+/Her2- breast cancer has been verified by MonarchE. However, accurately determining the number of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases remains challenging. The Z0011 trial changed the axillary management strategy, eliminating the need for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with 1-2 sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases. Therefore, further exploration is needed to identify patients who could benefit from abemaciclib therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included cT1-2N0M0 HR+/Her2- patients with 1-2 positive SLNs who underwent ALND. Clinicopathological data were collected, and logistic regression analyses identified independent predictors for ≥4 positive ALNs. A predictive nomogram was developed, and discrimination and calibration were evaluated using the C-index and calibration curve. Clinical efficacy was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS We enrolled 444 patients, with 77 (17.3%) having ≥4 positive ALNs. Independent predictors for ≥4 positive ALNs included abnormal ALN on ultrasound, mammographic calcifications, T stage, and the number of positive SLNs. The nomogram demonstrated an AUC of 0.777 (95% CI: 0.735-0.815, P<0.001), and internal validation showed good calibration and discrimination (C-index, 0.802; 95% CI: 0.779-0.824). DCA revealed a positive net benefit for risk levels ranging from 5% to 54%. CONCLUSIONS This nomogram is a convenient and reliable tool to predict the risk of ≥4 positive ALNs in HR+/Her2- patients. It aids in protocol selection by identifying SLN-positive patients who may benefit from abemaciclib therapy without ALND.

An improved nomogram including elastography for the prediction of non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 sentinel lymph node metastases.

The rate of breast-conserving surgery is very low in China, compared with that in developed countries; most breast cancer patients receive mastectomy. It is great important to explore the possibility of omitting axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in China. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram based on elastography for the prediction of the risk of non-SLN (NSLN) metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. A total of 601 breast cancer patients were initially recruited. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 118 early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs were finally enrolled and were assigned to the training cohort (n=82) and the validation cohort (n=36), respectively. In the training cohort, the independent predictors were screened by logistic regression analysis and then were used to conducted the nomogram for the prediction of NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. The calibration curves, concordance index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), and Decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verified the performance of the nomogram. The multivariable analysis showed that the enrolled patients with positive HER2 expression (OR=6.179, P=0.013), Ki67≥14% (OR=8.976, P=0.015), larger lesion size (OR=1.038, P=0.045), and higher Emean (OR=2.237, P=0.006) were observed to be the independent factors of NSLN metastasis. Based on the above four independent predictors, a nomogram was conducted to predict the risk of the NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. The nomogram showed good discrimination in the prediction of NSLN metastasis, with bias-corrected C-index of 0.855 (95% CI, 0.754-0.956) and 0.853 (95% CI, 0.724-0.983) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the AUC was 0.877 (95%CI: 0.776- 0.978) and 0.861 (95%CI: 0.732-0.991), respectively, indicating a good performance of the nomogram. The calibration curve suggested a satisfactory agreement between the predictive and actual risk in both the training (χ2 = 11.484, P=0.176, HL test) and validation (χ2 = 6.247, p = 0.620, HL test) cohorts, and the obvious clinical nets were revealed by DCA. We conducted a satisfactory nomogram model to evaluate the risk of NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 SLN metastases. This model could be considered as an ancillary tool to help such patients to be selectively exempted from ALND.

Application of fluorescence endoscopy with methylene blue dye and indocyanine green dual-tracer method in sentinel lymph node biopsy for women with breast cancer.

Indocyanine green (ICG) allows for the real-time visualization of lymphatic drainage and provides favorable performance for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping. However, the limited ability of tissue penetration of the near-infrared fluorescence of ICG may lead to the failure of lymph node detection in the traditional open approach of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for breast cancer, especially in overweight or obese patients. To accurately and quickly detect SLNs, we applied fluorescence endoscopy with a dual-tracer method using ICG and methylene blue dye (MBD) in SLNB for breast cancer. We conducted this study to assess the feasibility and application value of this method in minimally invasive surgery. A total of 117 patients who received dual-tracer injection of ICG and MBD prior to endoscopic SLNB from November 2020 to September 2021 were examined in this study. The number of SLNs identified, the SLN identification rate, the time to identify the first SLN, the procedure duration, and the postoperative morbidity were analyzed. Biopsied SLNs could be identified in 116 patients (99.15%) with an average number of 5.12±1.87 per patient. Blue-stained SLNs were found in 99 patients (84.62%) and fluorescent SLNs in 112 patients (95.73%). A total of 34 patients (29.06%) had positive SLNs. In 6 cases (5.13%), the positive SLNs were only stained with ICG fluorescence. In 1 case (0.85%), the positive SLNs were only blue-stained with no fluorescence staining. The mean durations for the identification of the first SLN and endoscopic SLNB were 7.14±6.31 and 37.75±16.94 min, respectively. Upper-limb lymphoedema was observed 5 cases (4.27%) during a median follow-up period of 10 months. The fluorescence endoscopy method assisted by dual tracer facilitates SLN detection with a comparatively short procedure duration and low complication rate. This approach could serve as a new method for SLNB for patients with breast cancer.

A nomogram for intraoperatively predicting non-sentinel lymph node metastases in early breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes.

Individualized decisions are required in early-stage breast cancer patients. We aimed to establish a novel model for predicting non-sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases in patients with positive SLNs, using preoperative and intraoperative characteristics and inflammatory indicators. The data of 489 patients with invasive breast cancer were retrospectively collected from Xuanwu Hospital between 2014 and 2021. Among them, 96 patients with at least one positive SLN were used to build the predictive model. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of non-SLN metastases. A nomogram was developed using these risk factors and was validated by calibration curves. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and decision curve analyses (DCA) were used to compare our novel nomogram with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram. Cross-validation was performed for further internal validation of the predictive model. External validation was conducted using another treatment group (n=46 patients) in Xuanwu Hospital. Non-SLN metastases occurred in 42 of the 83 patients with positive SLNs (50.6%). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression indicated that the risk factors were age (P=0.032), number of positive SLNs (P=0.020), number of negative SLNs (P=0.011), resected tumor size (P=0.038), and monocyte count (P=0.012). A predictive model was developed and virtualized by nomogram using these five risk factors. The AUC of our nomogram was 0.867, which was significantly higher than that of the MSKCC model. DCA also showed a superior clinical value for our novel nomogram. After 10-fold cross-validation with 400 times repetitions, the AUC of our model was still 0.830. External validation of our model showed an AUC of 0.727. The model was well-calibrated in the internal and external validation series. A five-factor nomogram was developed for predicting non-SLN metastases in early-stage breast cancer patients. This novel tool exhibited good accuracy and could assist clinicians with intraoperative decisions in breast cancer patients with positive SLNs.

Tailored axillary surgery (TAS) in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer in the upfront surgery setting: A prospective, single-arm, multicenter trial.

TPS628 Background: Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which can induce lymphedema, has been omitted in clinically node-negative(cN0) patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) if they meet the eligibility criteria of ACOSOG Z0011. Furthermore, the omission of ALND has been attempted through targeted axillary dissection (TAD) in patients whose cN+ status converts to ycN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, ALND remains the standard of care in patients with cN+ who undergo upfront surgery. The aims of this trial are to establish a surgical method of tailored axillary surgery (TAS), which combines TAD and SLN biopsy among patients with cN+ who undergo upfront surgery, and to determine the appropriate criteria for a Phase III TAS trial. Methods: We have planned a single-arm Phase II trial to confirm the feasibility and assess patient eligibility for TAS. A total of 300 patients will be enrolled from 33 study sites in Japan. The eligibility criteria are as follows: 1) histologically-proven invasive breast cancer, 2) upfront surgery is planned, 3) pathologically-diagnosed metastatic lymph node (cytology or core needle biopsy), 4) 1-3 LN metastases in level I by imaging, 5) cT1-3, and 6) females aged ≥18 and ≤74 years on the enrollment date. TAS involves removing marking lymph nodes by TAD (clip, wire, or tattoo) and SLNB, and ALND up to Level II are performed after TAS. These LNs are defined as non-TAS LNs. The primary endpoint is the non-TAS LNs positive rate. Clinicopathological factors (the number of suspected metastases by imaging, the number of metastases in LNs resected by TAS, tumor size, and invasive ductal/lobular carcinoma) are analyzed to predict the non-TAS LN metastasis rate (e.g., &lt; 10%). By using these clinicopathological factors, we determine the eligibility of TAS to omit ALND safely. The secondary endpoints are TAS LNs identification rate, labeled LNs identification rate, marked lymph node resection rate, arm edema incidence rate, and QOL (FACT-B, QuickDASH). After this feasibility study, we will conduct a phase III trial that omits ALND using TAS to investigate the regional recurrence rate.

Population-based validation of the melanoma institute australia (MIA) and the memorial sloan-kettering cancer center (MSKCC) predictive tool for sentinel node status in patients with melanoma.

9571 Background: Patients with primary cutaneous melanoma are selected for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) based upon their risk of a positive SLN being identified. To improve upon stage-based categorization, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) developed predictive models. Which model is more clinically useful is currently unclear. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing SLNB from 2007-2021 were identified from the Swedish Melanoma Registry (SweMR), which covers 99% of patients with invasive cutaneous melanoma in Sweden. The predicted probability of SLN positivity was calculated using the MSKCC and limited MIA models (using mitotic rate as absent/present instead of count and excluding the optional variable lymphovascular invasion) for each patient. The operating characteristics of the models were assessed and compared. The “clinical utility” of each model was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA) and compared with a strategy of performing SLNB on all patients. Results: In total 10,089 patients were included; the median Breslow thickness was 1.8 mm, 33.7% were ulcerated, and 1,802 patients had a positive SLN (17.9%). Both the MSKCC and limited MIA models were well calibrated across the full range of predicted probabilities, and had similar external area under curve (AUC), MSKCC 70.8% (95% CI 69.5-72.1%) and MIA 70.3% (95% CI 68.9-71.7%). When new models were constructed to compare the incremental value of the additional parameters of either nomogram over Breslow thickness alone, the AUCs were 70.1%, 71.6% and 72.0% for Breslow alone, MIA parameters and MSKCC parameters, respectively. At a risk threshold of 5%, DCA indicated no added net benefit for either model compared to performing SLNB for all patients. At risk thresholds of 10% or higher, both models added net benefit compared to SLNB for all. The greatest benefit was observed from use of the models in patients with T2 melanomas when a threshold of 10% was used to select patients for SLNB. In that setting, use of the nomograms led to a net reduction in seven avoidable SLNBs per 100 patients for the limited MIA nomogram and eight for the MSKCC nomogram, when compared to a strategy of SLNB for all. Conclusions: This study confirms the statistical performance of both the MSKCC and limited MIA models in a large, nationally-representative dataset. However, clinical utility as assessed by DCA demonstrated that using the models only improved selection for SLNB when a risk threshold of at least 10% was employed, and then mainly for T2 melanomas. Either further development of the nomograms, or other strategies, are needed to improve selection at lower risk thresholds.

Detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of sentinel-node biopsy in early stage ovarian cancer: A prospective multicentre study (SELLY).

e17579 Background: Comprehensive surgical staging of early epithelial ovarian cancer includes systematic paraaortic and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy but its therapeutic role is controversial and it is associated with potential severe morbidity. The feasibility of sentinel lymph-node (SLN) identification in early stage ovarian cancer has been shown only. We did a prospective multicenter study to assess the feasibility, detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of the SLN procedure in predicting the pathological pelvic-node status in patients with early stage ovarian cancer. Methods: This is a phase II single arm study (EUDRACT 2019-001088-58) including patients with presumed stage I-II epithelial ovarian cancer planned for immediate or delayed minimally-invasive comprehensive staging. The ovarian pedicle is injected with 2 mL of a 1.25 mg/mL indocyanine green (ICG) solution. The pelvic and lumbo-aortic retroperitoneum is then accessed and inspected to identify and remove SLNs. Staging is then completed including systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy and an histopathological examination of all nodes is performed. The primary endpoint was estimation of the sensitivity and sensibility of SLN in predicting nodal status. Assuming a sensitivity of 98.5% in predicting positive sentinel lymph nodes at histology, a pathological lymph node prevalence of 14.2%, a precision of estimate (i.e. the maximum marginal error) d=5%, a type I error α = 0.05, a sample size of 141 patients is needed to test the general hypothesis (i.e. to answer whether SLN(s) identified with ICG can accurately predict nodal status at histology of patients with apparently early EOC). Assuming a drop-out rate of 20%, a total of 176 patients will be enrolled in the study. Results: One-hundred and seventy-six patients were included with a drop-out rate of 22%. Sentinel node was identified in 102 patients (detection rate, 58%, [95% CI: 51-65]). There were no clinical differences between patients with successful or unsuccessful mapping. Both the infundibolopelvic ligament and the legamentum ovarii proprium were injected in 29.0% of cases. Twenty-one patients had positive nodes and 71% of them showed successful mapping. Among the latter, a negative sentinel node was identified in 3 patients (Sensitivity 78.6% [95% CI: 57-100]; Specificity 100%; Accuracy 97% [95% CI: 94-100]; PPV 100%; NPV 96,6% [95% CI: 93-100]). Twenty-two (12.5%) intra- and 25 (14.2%) postoperative complications occurred (12 G1; 9 G2; 2 G3, 2 G4). Clinical trial information: EUCTR2019-001088-58 .

A phase 2 study to determine the pathological (path) response to neoadjuvant nivolumab (nivo) and relatlimab (rela) in high-risk stage II cutaneous melanoma: NeoReNi II.

TPS9610 Background: Patients diagnosed with stage II melanoma account for ~50% of those who develop metastatic disease and die (Poklepovic et al., 2020). Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is a powerful treatment platform to rapidly assess drug activity in resectable cancers using the International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium (INMC) path response criteria (Tetzlaff et al., 2018), wherein a major path response (≤10% viable tumor) correlates with low risk of recurrence in resectable stage III melanoma (Menzies et al., 2021). Other benefits include early insight into response, feedback to pts regarding their individual response and prognosis, ability to tailor subsequent management, and collection of translational specimens to explore mechanisms of response and resistance (Amaria et al., 2019). NAT for stage II melanoma is an opportunity to improve survival rates beyond the gains achieved with adjuvant therapy, as illustrated by the phase II SWOG 1801 trial (Patel et al., 2022) for pts with stage III melanoma. The NeoReNi II trial will examine whether combination PD-1 blockade plus lymphocyte-activation 3 (LAG3) checkpoint inhibition will achieve a high rate of path response with manageable toxicity. Methods: Pts with histologically confirmed AJCC (8th ed.) clinical stage IIA (T2b, T3A), IIB (T3b, T4a), or IIC (T4b) primary cutaneous melanoma from a partial biopsy, with residual macroscopic disease at study entry, are eligible (N = 20). Pts with IIA disease must have an estimated ≥20% risk of recurrence at 5 years, according to the Melanoma Institute Australia stage II risk calculator (melanomarisk.org.au). All pts undergo wide excision and sentinel lymph node resection (RES) at wk 6 following NAT with 2 doses of nivo (480 mg, IV) plus rela (160 mg, IV). Pts with no ( &gt; 50% viable tumor) or partial path response ( &gt; 10% - ≤50% viable tumor) receive a further 11 cycles (Q4W) of adjuvant nivo (480 mg) plus rela (160 mg), and radiological and clinical surveillance. Pts with complete (pCR; 0% viable tumor) or near-complete (≤10% viable tumor) path response will undergo radiological and clinical surveillance after RES. All pts will be followed for recurrence (6 monthly CT) and survival for 10 years. Lymphatic mapping, dermoscopy, in vivo confocal microscopy, CT, and FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline (BL) and prior to RES to measure response to NAT. Tumour and fecal samples are collected at BL, RES, and recurrence. Blood samples are collected at BL, wk 4, RES, and recurrence. The primary endpoint is the rate of pCR at RES after 6 wks of NAT using INMC response criteria (Tetzlaff et al., 2018). Secondary endpoints include assessing the feasibility of NAT in a stage II pt population, RFS, OS, safety/tolerability, surgical outcomes, changes in confocal microscopy and dermoscopy, rate of sentinel node positivity and changes in lymphatic mapping, QOL, and biomarker analyses. Clinical trial information: NCT05418972 .

Can Axillary Lymph Node Dissection be Omitted in Breast Cancer Patients with Metastatic Sentinel Lymph Nodes Undergoing Mastectomy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Real-World Evidence.

The omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer who have metastatic sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) undergoing mastectomy remains controversial. This meta-analysis explored the clinicopathological factors affecting the selection of ALND and the influences of ALND on survival outcomes in patients receiving mastectomy with positive SLNs. Eligible studies published prior to 31 December 2022 were selected by searching the Embase, Web of Science and PubMed databases. Pooled analyses were performed using the number of events for clinicopathological parameters and HRs with 95% CIs for survival outcomes including disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS). A total of 10 retrospective studies enrolling only breast cancer patients with limited SLN metastases (no more than 3 positive SLNs or micrometastatic SLNs) undergoing mastectomy were included. Performing ALND in mastectomy patients who had limited SLN metastases was significantly correlated with invasive ductal carcinomas, larger tumors, lymphovascular invasion, higher tumor grade, macrometastatic SLNs, more positive SLNs, extranodal extension, positive surgical margins, negative ER, administration of adjuvant chemotherapy and nonwhite race (P < 0.05). However, performing ALND did not result in significantly longer OS, DFS, LRFS or DRFS (P > 0.05) in these patients. The present meta-analysis indicated that ALND may be safely avoided in patients with breast cancer who had limited SLN metastases undergoing mastectomy. Further well-designed randomized clinical trials are warranted to validate our results.

Melanoma Prognosis and Associated Risk Factors: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Semantic Map Analysis.

The overall patterns of correlations among various melanoma risk factors have not yet been examined. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different parameters on disease-free and melanoma-related overall survival. A retrospective cohort study was conducted encompassing all patients with a primary cutaneous melanoma diagnosed in a university referral centre. Associations were explored using semantic map analysis, which uses graph theory to find the strongest path of connections between variables. A total of 1,110 melanoma patients (median follow-up 10.6 years) were included. The analysis revealed a clustering of variables around 2 main hubs: Breslow thickness < 1 mm and ≥ 4 mm. Factors connected with high melanoma thickness were: older age, positive sentinel lymph node biopsy findings, presence of ulceration, nodular melanoma type, and light skin phototype. Both disease-free and melanoma-related overall survival were in this cluster and connected with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy and Breslow ≥ 4 mm. Patients with Breslow between 1 and 3.9 mm were also in this cluster and linked with negative sentinel lymph node biopsy, nodular melanoma and safety distance > 10 mm. This semantic analysis confirmed the close link between Breslow thickness, age, sentinel lymph node biopsy findings, skin type, melanoma subtype and prognosis, and provides prognostic information useful for the further stratification and management of patients with melanoma.

Online risk calculator and nomogram for predicting sentinel lymph node positivity in Merkel cell carcinoma

Online risk calculator and nomogram for predicting sentinel lymph node positivity in Merkel cell carcinoma

The i31-GEP for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy outperforms the MSKCC nomogram in predicting the risk of having a positive SLN in patients with cutaneous melanoma

The i31-GEP for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy outperforms the MSKCC nomogram in predicting the risk of having a positive SLN in patients with cutaneous melanoma

The involvement of axillary reverse mapping nodes in patients with node-positive breast cancer

IntroductionAxillary reverse mapping (ARM) procedure is useful in reducing lymphedema. However, concerns regarding oncologic safety have limited the adoption of the ARM procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the involvement of ARM nodes in node-positive breast cancer patients. Materials and methodsTwo hundred twenty-three node-positive patients were enrolled in this study: 90 were clinically node-negative, but had one or more positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) (SLN-positive group); 68 were clinicopathologically node-positive (CpN-positive group); and 65 had confirmed nodal involvement and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (NAC group). All patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection with fluorescent ARM. ResultsARM nodes were involved in 33 (36.7%) patients of the SLN-group. Residual ARM nodes after SLN biopsy were involved in 11 patients (12.2%), including 5 patients (19.2%) with crossover type nodes and 6 patients (9.4%) with non-crossover type nodes. However, the difference in involvement rates between the two types was not high enough to be significant. Of these 11 patients, moreover, four patients had three or more than 3 involved SLNs. On the other hand, the involvement rate of ARM nodes in the NAC group was significantly lower than that of the CpN-positive group (35.4% vs. 64.7%: p < 0.01). Despite lower involvement, the risk of metastases in the ARM nodes was still too high to spare ARM nodes in both the NAC group and CpN-positive group. ConclusionsSuspicious or involved ARM nodes should be removed even when detected in ARM procedure, particularly in NAC-group and CpN-positive-group patients.

Axillary Lymph Node Dissection is Associated with Improved Survival Among Men with Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis.

Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, and management is extrapolated from trials that enroll only women. It is unclear whether contemporary axillary management based on data from landmark trials in women may also apply to men with breast cancer. This study aimed to compare survival in men with positive sentinel lymph nodes after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone versus complete axillary dissection (ALND). Using the National Cancer Database, men with clinically node-negative, T1 and T2 breast cancer and 1-2 positive sentinel nodes who underwent SLNB or ALND were identified from 2010 to 2020. Both 1:1 propensity score matching and multivariate regression were used to identify patient and disease variables associated with ALND versus SLNB. Survival between ALND and SLNB were compared using Kaplan-Meier methods. A total of 1203 patients were identified: 61.1% underwent SLNB alone and 38.9% underwent ALND. Treatment in academic centers (36.1 vs. 27.7%; p < 0.0001), 2 positive lymph nodes on SLNB (32.9 vs. 17.3%, p < 0.0001) and receipt or recommendation of chemotherapy (66.5 vs. 52.2%, p < 0.0001) were associated with higher likelihood of ALND. After propensity score matching, ALND was associated with superior survival compared with SLNB (5-year overall survival of 83.8 vs. 76.0%; log-rank p = 0.0104). The results of this study suggest that among patients with early-stage MBC with limited sentinel lymph node metastasis, ALND is associated with superior survival compared with SLNB alone. These findings indicate that it may be inappropriate to extrapolate the results of the ACOSOG Z0011 and EORTC AMAROS trials to MBC.

O081 De-escalating axillary dissection in mastectomy cases for ductal carcinoma in-situ

Abstract Introduction Axillary surgery has been de-escalated in invasive breast carcinoma and may be omitted in certain age groups according to the Choosing Wisely initiative. Invasion can be found in 10-20% of patients with ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS). Therefore, Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is indicated to rule out nodal metastasis. Our purpose was to study the risk factors and outcome of positive SLNB. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on a series of 67 cases of patients who underwent mastectomy with SLNB for DCIS at Beaumont Hospital, Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, between 2015 and 2021. We evaluated their clinical, histopathological characteristics and regional recurrence. Results Only one invasive component was identified out of 67 cases (1.5%). Eight patients (11.9%) had positive SLN, six with isolated tumour cells, one micro-metastasis and one macro-metastasis. The three patients who proceeded for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) presented with palpable lump, nipple discharge and through family history screening; however, all additional nodes retrieved were negative. All three patients had &amp;gt;5 cm high/intermediate grade disease. They were ER receptor positive and HER-2 negative. Regional recurrence was not reported in any. Conclusion This study identified a low rate of positive SLNB in DCIS and microinvasion on final histopathology. Factors which may increase the risk of positive SLNB are large tumours, palpable lump or nipple discharge. Our results indicate that ALND can be safely omitted in DCIS with positive SLNB but may be considered in high-risk patients.

Az SZTE Bőrgyógyászati és Allergológiai Klinikán a melanoma malignum sebészi kezelésében történt változások az elmúlt évtizedben

Based on large international multicentre trials sentinel lymph node biopsy was found clinically relevant in intermediate thickness melanomas, furthermore sentinel lymph node positivity proved to be the single most important factor in overall survival. However, there is an ongoing debate in the literature regarding the need of sentinel lymph node biopsy in thin (&lt;1mm) and thick (&gt;4mm) melanomas. We aimed to analyse the clinicopathologic predictors of SNB positivity and the possible advantages of the procedure.

The Current Treatment Trends and Survival Patterns in Melanoma Patients with Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB): A Multicenter Nationwide Study.

In melanoma treatment, an approach following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been recently deescalated from completion lymph node dissection (CLND) to active surveillance based on phase III trials data. In this study, we aim to evaluate treatment strategies in SLNB-positive melanoma patients in real-world practice. Five-hundred-fifty-seven melanoma SLNB-positive patients from seven comprehensive cancer centers treated between 2017 and 2021 were included. Kaplan-Meier methods and the Cox Proportional-Hazards Model were used for analysis. The median follow-up was 25 months. Between 2017 and 2021, the percentage of patients undergoing CLND decreased (88-41%), while the use of adjuvant treatment increased (11-51%). The 3-year OS and RFS rates were 77.9% and 59.6%, respectively. Adjuvant therapy prolonged RFS (HR:0.69, p = 0.036)), but CLND did not (HR:1.22, p = 0.272). There were no statistically significant differences in OS for either adjuvant systemic treatment or CLND. Lower progression risk was also found, and time-dependent hazard ratios estimation in patients treated with systemic adjuvant therapy was confirmed (HR:0.20, p = 0.002 for BRAF inhibitors and HR:0.50, p = 0.015 for anti-PD-1 inhibitors). Treatment of SLNB-positive melanoma patients is constantly evolving, and the role of surgery is currently rather limited. Whether CLND has been performed or not, in a group of SLNB-positive patients, adjuvant systemic treatment should be offered to all eligible patients.

De-escalation of axillary surgery in patients outside Z0011 criteria

Over the past 2 decades, axillary surgical management for breast cancer patients has been reshaped after several practice-changing randomized clinical trials provided evidence to support the de-escalation of axillary surgery, specifically the omission of axillary lymph node dissection, for patients with positive axillary lymph nodes. One such practice-changing trial was the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 trial, which showed that patients with clinical T1–2 breast tumors and limited nodal disease (1–2 positive sentinel lymph nodes) who underwent upfront breast-conserving therapy could be safely spared the morbidity of axillary lymph node dissection. American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 has been criticized as several important groups were excluded, such as patients who underwent a mastectomy, patients with >2 positive sentinel lymph nodes, or patients with imaging-detected lymph node metastases. These exclusions have led to unclear guidelines and very difficult management decisions for many patients with breast cancer who are just outside the Z0011 criteria. Several subsequent trials that investigated sentinel lymph node biopsy alone or sentinel lymph node biopsy plus axillary radiation versus axillary lymph node dissection enrolled patients with higher volumes of disease than American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011, such as mastectomy patients or patients with >2 positive sentinel lymph nodes. The goal of this review is to describe the findings of these trials and to discuss the current best practices regarding axillary management in patients who are candidates for upfront surgery but were excluded from American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011, with a particular focus on patients undergoing mastectomy, patients with >2 positive sentinel lymph nodes, patients with large or multifocal tumors, and patients with imaging-detected biopsy-proven lymph node metastases.