NEW SP100 Scientific Plenary—Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection for Melanoma: Is the Standard of Care Ahead of the Evidence?
8:00–9:15 am
1.25 CME CREDITS
Melanoma, with its capricious behavior and resistance to therapy, terrifies patients and frustrates physicians. Sentinel lymph node status provides valuable prognostic information; however, the evidence whether this information can be effectively translated into therapeutic benefit for patients is less clear. In particular, the role of completion lymphadenectomy in node-positive patients remains controversial. Experts also disagree about the best approach to pathologic evaluation of sentinel nodes and the meaning of its various patterns. Does sentinel lymph node dissection provide a proven benefit for melanoma patients or was it advanced as standard of care prematurely? What can we learn from a careful reassessment of data about the biology of disease progression and the strengths and weaknesses of clinical trial statistical analyses? Faculty will lead a discussion of the arguments in favor and critical of this procedure. The controversy comes at a pivotal time in the national health care debate about what is standard of care, what is evidence based, and what true value our medical interventions create for individuals and society. Don’t miss this thought-provoking session!
You will learn to:
- Interpret the meaning of recent clinical trial data on sentinel lymph node biopsy and complete node dissection in melanoma
- Discuss the controversy about sentinel node dissection in the context of the biology of disease progression
- Evaluate your laboratory’s practice and consult with medical staff on best practices that are evidence based
Faculty
Boris Bastian, MD
Vernon K. Sondak, MD
J. Meirion Thomas, MD
Also offered as a virtual course—see the Virtual Courses Tab for more details