Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, Lymph Node Dissection, and Lymphedema Management Options in Melanoma

Long-Term Outcomes of Lymphedema After Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction Following Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) significantly affects quality-of-life after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Although immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) may reduce BCRL incidence, its long-term outcomes and predictors remain unclear. We report long-term BCRL prevalence in patients undergoing ILR and delineate factors associated with BCRL after ILR.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied consecutive patients who underwent ILR following ALND between 2017 and 2024 across six hospitals in the Indiana University network. Primary outcome was BCRL prevalence, defined as ≥ 2-cm limb difference at two contiguous points. Secondary outcomes included BCRL predictors, postoperative complications, and compression garment use.

RESULTS

We identified 172 patients with a mean age 50.9 ± 11.6 years, body mass index of 29.5 ± 6.9 kg/m2, and follow-up time of 23.1 ± 15.2 months. Most patients (57.7%) underwent mastectomy, ALND with breast reconstruction. The median number of lymph nodes removed during ALND was 15 (interquartile range [IQR] 10.0-21.0), and median number of positive lymph nodes was 2.0 (IQR, 0.0-4.0). The cumulative BCRL incidence was 7.0% (n = 12 patients). Median time to significant limb swelling was 4.5 (IQR, 1.0-11.3) months. Fifty-five patients (32.0%) used postoperative compression garments. Breast-related complications occurred in 30.2% of patients. Black/African American patients had significantly higher lymphedema rates than White patients (18.8% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.005). In adjusted analyses, Black/African American race was an independent predictor (odds ratio [OR], 6.38; p < 0.006) of BCRL.

CONCLUSIONS

Immediate lymphatic reconstruction following ALND demonstrated low BCRL rates, although Black or African American patients remain at disproportionately higher risk, warranting targeted interventions and further investigation.

Clinical Efficacy of Laparoscopic Sentinel Node Navigation Surgery for Stomach Preservation in Patients With Early Gastric Cancer: 5-year Results of the SENORITA Trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare laparoscopic standard gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic sentinel node navigation surgery (LSNNS) for EGC in terms of 5-year long-term oncologic outcomes.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

The oncological safety of LSNNS for early gastric cancer (EGC) has not been confirmed. Three-year disease-free survival (DFS), which is the primary endpoint of the phase III multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial (SEntinel Node ORIented Tailored Approach [SENORITA] trial), did not show the non-inferiority of LSNNS relative to LSG.

METHODS

The SENORITA trial, a multicenter randomized clinical trial, was designed to show that LSNNS is non-inferior to LSG in terms of 3-year DFS. In the present study, we collected 5-year follow-up data from 527 patients recruited in the SENORITA trial as the full analysis set (FAS). Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence patterns were evaluated using the FAS of both LSG (n=269) and LSNNS (n=258).

RESULTS

The 5-year DFS was not significantly different between the LSG and LSNNS groups (P=0.0561). During the 5-year follow-up, gastric cancer-related events, such as metachronous cancer, were more frequent in the LSNNS group than in the LSG group. However, ten recurrent cancers in the remnant stomach of both groups were curatively resected by additional gastrectomy and one by additional endoscopic resection. Two of the 198 patients who underwent local resection for stomach preservation based on the LSNNS results developed distant metastasis. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the 5-year OS and DSS (P=0.7403 and P=0.9586, respectively) between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The 5-year DFS, DSS and OS did not differ significantly between the two groups. Considering the benefits of LSNNS on postoperative quality of life, LSNNS could be recommended as an alternative treatment option for EGC.

Quality of Life Predictors in Patients With Melanoma: A Machine Learning Approach

Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important recognized health outcome for cancer treatments, but also disease course with slower recovery and increased morbidity. These issues are of implication in melanoma, which maintains a risk of disease progression for many years after diagnosis. This study aimed to explore and weigh factors in the perception of the quality of life and possible relationships with demographic–clinical characteristics in people with melanoma via a machine learning approach. In this observational study, patients with melanoma, without metastatic disease, were recruited from January 2020 to December 2021 with a follow-up of at least one year. Demographic variables and clinics were collected, and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) was adopted as the physical and mental aspects of the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measure. All the variables were processed in a random forest model to weigh at each node of each tree of this machine learning regression model, their actual weight in SF-12 score. We included 203 melanoma patients, mean aged 59.25 ± 15.1 years: 56 (27%) affecting the upper limbs and 147 (73%) affecting the trunk. The model of 142 patients with no missing value, generating 92 trees (MSE = 0.45, R2 of 0.78), reported that the lesion site was the most influencing variable on HRQoL based on the decrease in Gini impurity in variable weighing at each node intersection in forest generation. In this scenario, we built two distinct models for lesion sites and demonstrated that the variable that most influenced the quality of life in upper limb melanoma was lymphedema, while BMI was in the trunk. Given these results, random forest regressions could play a crucial role in the clinical and rehabilitation approach. The machine-learning model for detecting the HRQoL predictor in melanoma patients indicates that the experienced lymphedema and BMI may influence the HRQoL perception. This study suggests that the prevention and treatment of lymphedema and bodyweight reduction might improve the quality of life in melanoma.