Removal of lymph nodes near the tumor in patients with melanoma, a aggressive skin cancer, would not be an effective therapeutic route for improving survival, according to the results of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in the United States conducted a study with 1,900 patients with melanoma to analyze lymph node removal and its effect on survival. Today, once melanoma is established, lymph nodes near the tumor are often removed and biopsied to see if the cancer has started to spread.
Scientists compared two groups of patients, including patients who only received ultrasound monitoring and resection (surgical removal of one of the tumor) if necessary.
Few benefits and a lot of side effects
The study’s findings showed that removal of lymph nodes near the tumor did not lead to increased survival rates.
“The results of this study will translate into a marked decrease in the number of procedures worldwide to remove lymph nodes near the tumor,” said Dr Mark Faries, co-director of the Melanoma and Surgery Program. cancer associated with the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Research Institute in Los Angeles. “These results are likely to affect the design of a large number of clinical trials on melanoma as well as therapies against this cancer in the future,” he added.
In addition, this operation favored certain side effects. In fact, 25% of the patients suffered from lymphedema (a swelling caused by the slowing or blocking of the flow of lymph), compared to 6% of the control group.
“This new approach will allow patients to avoid significant side effects resulting from this surgical intervention and also clarify things for the development of new treatments,” said Dr. Omid Hamid, head of research in immuno-oncology and co-director of the skin cancer program at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
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