MSLT-II
Showed that removing all the remaining lymph nodes after a positive sentinel node does not help patients live longer, ending a routine operation.
Melanoma-specific survival at 3 years 86% in both arms; dissection improved regional control at the cost of lymphoedema in ~24% versus 6%. Practice changed worldwide to nodal surveillance, which in turn made adjuvant and neoadjuvant systemic therapy the main lever for stage III disease.
- 86 vs 86 out of 100 alive at 3 years with Completion dissection compared with Observation; 0 more per 100.
- No difference between the groups on this measure.
- Overall survival counts deaths from any cause, so it is the most direct measure of whether a treatment helps people live longer.
- These results apply to the people the trial enrolled: Sentinel-node-positive melanoma: immediate completion lymph node dissection vs ultrasound surveillance. People in a different situation may not see the same effect.
Numbers are from the trial as recorded here; see the source links in the table below. This is orientation, not medical advice: ask your team how closely the trial population matches you.
1,939 participants enrolled.
| Endpoint | Arm | n | Value | HR (95% CI) | p | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanoma-specific survival at 3 yearsprimary | Completion dissection | — | 86% | — | — | link |
| Observation | — | 86% |
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- InstitutionEuropean Society of Surgical Oncology
Shares Society of Surgical Oncology, Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.
- ProductTechnetium-99m tilmanocept
Shares Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Melanoma.
- IdeaTreat the draining lymph node before removing it
Shares Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Melanoma.
- IdeaPrizes for unpatentable surgical and radiotherapy techniques proven in trials
Shares Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.
- IdeaEradicate dormant cancer cells: a programme to wake and kill or lock asleep disseminated cells
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Melanoma.
- IdeaA standard platform to get drugs into the brain: focused ultrasound plus shuttle-engineered therapeutics
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Melanoma.
- InstitutionRosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Melanoma.
- IdeaPayer-funded trials that omit surgery or radiotherapy in low-risk patients
Shares Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least.