Risk for Death Reduced With Sentinel Node Biopsy in Melanoma
Significantly reduced risk for death from melanoma and reduced risk for recurrence reported for those undergoing SNB
By Dermsquared Editorial Team | April 09, 2026
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Sentinel node biopsy is associated with a significantly reduced risk for death from melanoma and melanoma recurrence, according to a review published online March 5 in The Lancet Oncology.
Alexander H.R. Varey, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., from the Melanoma Institute Australia at the University of Sydney, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether there is a reduction in the risk for death from melanoma after SNB. Sixty studies were eligible for analysis.
The researchers found that 13 studies with 40,287 participants reporting an adjusted risk showed a significantly reduced risk for death from melanoma for those who underwent SNB (hazard ratio, 0.86), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 16 percent). This result was not dependent on any single study or use of systemic therapy, as confirmed in sensitivity analyses. Based on an analysis of five studies with 27,540 participants that reported five-year risk for death from melanoma, the result was similar, with a hazard ratio of 0.84 and low heterogeneity (I2 = 15 percent). In two studies with three estimates, the 10-year risk for melanoma was not significantly reduced. The hazard ratio was 0.71 in nine studies with 11,625 participants reporting an adjusted risk for recurrence, with low heterogeneity (I2 = 23 percent).
"The routine use of SNB in eligible patients will result in fewer of them developing recurrent disease, thereby reducing the need for morbid surgery or costly systemic therapies that result in significant toxic effects to many patients," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.