What is a gatekeeper lymph node?
In other words, the sentinel nodes are like the gatekeepers to the rest of the lymph nodes. The Lymph Node Mapping with Sentinel Node Biopsy procedure. – commonly called Sentinel Node Biopsy – helps doctors discover which lymph nodes need to be removed and whether cancer cells have spread to these nodes.
What is an in transit lymph node?
In contrast (and in keeping with the definition of intralymphatic but extranodal metastases), in transit nodes are any nodes located between a primary cutaneous malignancy and the major basin(s) traditionally considered to drain that site.
What does in transit metastasis mean?
Listen to pronunciation. (in-TRAN-zit meh-TAS-tuh-sis) A type of metastasis in which skin cancer spreads through a lymph vessel and begins to grow more than 2 centimeters away from the primary tumor but before it reaches the nearest lymph node.
When is a sentinel node biopsy indicated for melanoma?
Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be considered for all patients with melanoma greater than 1 mm in thickness and for patients with melanoma greater than 0.75 mm with other high risk pathological features to provide optimal staging and prognostic information and to maximise management options for patients who are node …
What is Transit disease?
In-transit disease is defined as tumor deposits that usually occur somewhere between the primary lesion and its draining regional lymph node basin. Although often associated with distant metastases, the presence of in-transit disease is an independent adverse prognostic factor.
What is the stage of in transit metastasis?
The presence of in-transit metastases indicates either N2 or N3 status under the current AJCC TNM system, and is classified as stage IIIB or C disease, respectively. In-transit melanoma carries a poor prognosis, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 25% to 30% in most reports [12, 20, 21].
Is in-transit melanoma metastatic?
Malignant melanoma often metastasizes through lymphatic channels to the skin or subcutaneous tissues, as well as to regional lymph nodes. Skin and subcutaneous lesions that occur within 2 cm of the primary tumor are known as satellite lesions, while those that occur beyond 2 cm are considered in-transit metastases.