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Has anyone here NOT gotten a SLNB for stage 1?
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Has anyone here NOT gotten a SLNB for stage 1?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Has anyone here NOT gotten a SLNB for stage 1?

  • Post
    • January 3, 2018 at 8:21 pm
    didntseethatcoming
    Participant

      I only ask because, everywhere I look, it says that the biopsy has little to do with overall longevity. So, has anyone just commenced with the wide excision, and then the follow-up care (i.e., lymph node palpation, skin checks, etc every 3 months). Just wondering. Thanks!

      Jen

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    • Replies
        • January 3, 2018 at 10:00 pm
        Janner
        Participant

          Lots of people have.  If your lesion was under 1mm, in the past, most would NOT have had a SLNB at that depth.  Standards have changed over the years but the majority of stage 1a and a good number of stage 1b have not had SLNB.  Depends on the institution, patient and individual characteristics of the lesion.

          Janner

          3 MM primaries, no SLNB, 25 years stage 1

          • January 4, 2018 at 4:25 am
          jennunicorn
          Participant

            A  good amount of stage 1 do not get SLNB. My brother just had a WLE for a stage 1 yesterday. It was under 1mm (.90mm), not ulcerated with less than 1 mitotic rate so an SLNB was not necessary. 

            • January 4, 2018 at 3:49 pm
            didntseethatcoming
            Participant

              Thanks for replying. They throw a ton of info at you in quick succession at the hospital I go to, and made it sound like it was mandatory. Then I got home and really read through the info they gave me, and it even says on there that it's optional/patient preference. When I asked the surg-onc the question, he looked at me like I was nuts to even ask about the wide excision without the SLNB. So now I have a second opinion appointment next week. We'll see. Thanks again for the replies.

              Jen

                • January 4, 2018 at 3:54 pm
                Janner
                Participant

                  How deep was your lesion?  There are basic guidelines.  But even after that, it is still an optional procedure.  Surgeon's cut so of course they expect to cut.  The SLNB requires general surgery, a WLE can most often be done under local.  But again, there are guidelines to say when it is most likely of use. 

                • January 4, 2018 at 5:07 pm
                cancersnewnormal
                Participant

                  I had WLE (top of right shoulder) in June 2006… apparently margins STILL weren't wide enough, so I was back in two weeks later (July 2007) for an even bigger dig. Before the second resection, I asked about SLNB, but they said that wasn't necessary, as the invasive depth of the lesion wasn't sufficient enough to warrant it.  With hindsight, I wish I had pushed a little harder for it.

                  • January 14, 2018 at 10:32 pm
                  pinky2001
                  Participant

                    I just had a wide excision done for stage 1a (.33 mm deep).  As long as the pathology comes back with clear margins, it was not recommended that I get a lymph node biopsy.  Waiting…

                    • January 17, 2018 at 7:07 pm
                    Melissa.H
                    Participant
                      I was diagnosed with a T1a, .55mm depth on my leg back in September. At the time, we did CT and lymph node ultrasound of my groin. Dr said if any of it came back iffy, he’d do the SLNB. He added that he had never seen a positive SLNB in a .55mm before, but had in a .65 Everything looked good from radiology, so just the WLE, no SLNB b/c the possible side effects weren’t worth it.
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