Saving the Lymph Nodes

A recent study shows that the standard procedure of removing all of the lymph nodes located near a tumor actually doesn’t help melanoma patients live longer. Ordinarily, if a patient presents with melanoma in a lymph node, some doctors would opt for a procedure called completion lymph node dissection, which basically means all of the lymph nodes near the affected one would be removed as well – even if there were no melanoma cells present in those locations. (This procedure was way more common before the sentinel surgery option became more widespread.)

The patients who had completion lymph node dissection usually had it to see how far the melanoma had spread, which is an important consideration. However, it didn’t help survival rates; and nearly 25% of those who had the surgery had complications as a result.

This study is helpful because it demonstrates that the sentinel node biopsy option is safer and just as effective as completion lymph node dissection for most melanoma patients. The sentinel node biopsy procedure involves injecting tracer material so surgeons can see which are the first lymph nodes that the tumor drains into. They then remove only those nodes for further dissection. If those nodes don’t show cancer, then further surgery and lymph removal are not necessary.

Because melanoma (in addition to some types of breast cancer) often migrates to the lymphatic system when it metastasizes, knowing whether or not it has spread is important for doctors and patients to determine the best course of treatment. But it’s great that patients don’t necessarily have to undergo a more invasive surgical procedure to find that information out. Any surgery has the potential for complications and the more invasive a surgery, the higher the risks. Being able to reduce the impact on a melanoma patient’s body is one more way we can help people heal quicker.