The surgical treatment of non-metastatic melanoma in a Clinical National Melanoma Registry Study Group (CNMR): a retrospective cohort quality improvement study to reduce the morbidity rates.

Background: Reproducible, high-quality surgery is a key point in the management of cancer patients. Quality indicators for surgical treatment of melanoma has been presented with benchmarks but data on morbidity are still limited. This study presents the quality indicators on morbidity after surgical treatment for non-metastatic skin melanoma in an Italian registry.

Lymph-Node Ratio in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma: A Multi-Institution Prognostic Study.

Background: Lymph node ratio (LNR)-the number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) over the number of excised LNs after lymphadenectomy-is a prognostic factor for many solid tumors, but controversies still exist for skin melanoma. We investigated the prognostic relevance of LNR in melanoma patients and formulated a proposal for considering the LNR in the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N staging system.

Methods: Retrospective data of 2,526 melanoma patients with LN metastasis from nine Italian institutions were collected in a multicenter database.

Number of excised lymph nodes as a quality assurance measure for lymphadenectomy in melanoma.

Importance: Although the number of excised lymph nodes (LNs) represents a quality assurance measure in lymphadenectomy for many solid tumors, the minimum number of LNs to be dissected has not been established for melanoma.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of the number of excised LNs in a large patient series (N = 2526) to identify values that may serve as benchmarks for monitoring the quality of lymphadenectomy in patients with melanoma.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted (1992-2010) in tertiary referral centers for treatment of cutaneous melanoma.

Nonsentinel lymph node status in patients with cutaneous melanoma: results from a multi-institution prognostic study.

Purpose: We investigated whether the nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) status in patients with melanoma improves the prognostic accuracy of common staging features; then we formulated a proposal for including the NSLN status in the current melanoma staging system.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinicopathologic data of 1,538 patients with positive SLN status who underwent completion lymph node dissection (CLND) at nine Italian centers. Multivariable Cox regression survival analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors.

Anal fistula plug is a valid alternative option for the treatment of complex anal fistula in the long term.

Objective: This prospective, two-centre study was designed to evaluate long-term outcomes when using a collagen plug to treat cryptoglandular anal fistulae.

Materials And Method: Over 3 years, 60 consecutive patients with cryptoglandular fistulae were treated using an anal fistula plug by experienced surgeons. Preoperative, postoperative and follow-up data were collected in a dedicated database.

Sentinel and nonsentinel node status in stage IB and II melanoma patients: two-step prognostic indicators of survival.

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic significance of sentinel node biopsy in the management of stage IB and II melanoma patients, and to evaluate the status of nonsentinel nodes as a "second step key factor" to assess the prognosis of these patients.

Patients And Methods: We conducted an analysis of data collected in a prospective database.

Results: From February 1994 to June 2005, 1,108 consecutive patients with stage IB and II melanoma were submitted to sentinel node biopsy; 176 patients (15.