LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY VERSUS LYMPH NODE OBSERVATION IN MELANOMA PATIENTS.

Objective: evaluating the influence of sentinel lymph node biopsy without following completion lymph node dissection independent on sentinel lymph node status on the outcome in patients with skin melanoma.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred nine patients with a primary skin melanoma were randomly assigned to wide excision of the primary tumor and sentinel lymph node biopsy without following completion lymph-node dissection independent on sentinel lymph node status or to wide excision of skin melanoma. Low-dose interferon was administrated in the adjuvant setting.