Table 4.
Five-year stage-specific survival and recurrence-free survival rate reported in 14 observational studies
| Country | Study | Study period | Study type and length of follow-up (if recorded) | Study description | Population and stage at diagnosis | 5-year stage-specific survival (DSS or OS) according to SN status | 5-year stage-specific RFS according to SN status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | Koskivuo et al28 | 2000–2009 | Two-center retrospective. Median follow-up 2.5 years | SN biopsy and survival in patients ≥70 years | 423 patients (stage I–II) | Stage I–II: 88.6% Stage III: 46% (DSS) |
Stage I–II: 80% Stage III: 39% |
| France | Debarbieux et al29 | 1999–2004 | Single-center retrospective. Mean follow-up 29 months | SN biopsy and completion lymph node dissection and prognosis | 455 patients | Stage I–II: 95%a approximately Stage III: 60%a approximately (DSS) |
Stage I–II: 80%a approximately Stage III: 40%a approximately |
| Germany | Kunte et al30 | 1996–2007 | Single-center retrospective | Prognostic factors associated with SN positivity and effect of SN status on survival | 854 patients (stage I–II) | Stage I–II: 91.1% Stage III: 69.1% (DSS) |
Stage I–II: 90.1% Stage III: 58.1% |
| Germany | Hohnheiser et al31 | 1978–1997 | Single-center registry prospective. Median follow-up 13 years | Factors that influence time to recurrence and survival after first recurrence | 2,487 patients (stage I/II, III) | Stage I/II: 80%a approximately Stage III: 40%a approximately (OS) |
N/R |
| Germany | Meier et al32 | 2000–2006 | Single-center retrospective. Mean follow-up 49.5 months | Comparison of classification systems in melanoma SNs | 697 patients (stage IB/II) | Stage I–II: 85%–90%a approximately (OS) | Stage I–II: 85%a approximately |
| Italy | Cascinelli et al33 | 1994–2005 | Two-center prospective | Prognostic significance of SN biopsy, and status of nonsentinel nodes | 1,108 patients (stage IB/II) | Stage I–II: 90.6% Stage III: 75.4% (81.4% one positive lymph node, 39.6% two positive lymph nodes (OS) |
N/R |
| Italy | Mandala et al34 | 1998–2008 | Single-center prospective | Clinical and histopathological risk factors that predict SN positivity and survival | 1,251 patients (stage I/II) | Stage I–II: 88.7% Stage III: 42.9% (OS) |
Stage I–II: 75.9% Stage III: 35.2% |
| Italy | Testori et al35 | 2000–2002 | Prospective from 23 centers. Median follow-up 4.52 years | Predictive factors of SN status and patients’ prognosis after SN biopsy | 1,304 patients (stage I–III) | Stage I–II: 91% Stage III: 67.7% (OS) |
N/R |
| Italy | Quaglino et al36 | 1980–2007 | Single-center prospective. Median follow-up 18.4 years | Clinical features of melanoma-associated vitiligo, association with other autoimmune manifestations and their effect on prognosis | 2,954 patients (stage I–IV) of which 83 have vitiligo | Stage I: 95.4% Stage II: 68.8% Stage III: 42.5% Stage IV: 9.6 months median survival (OS for patients without vitiligo) |
Stage III: 21.5% |
| Italy | Mandalà et al37 | 1998–2009 | Single-center prospective. Median follow-up 3.5 years | Association of SES with Breslow thickness and survival | 1,443 patients (stage I/II) | Stage I/II: 91.6%–98.3%: range by low to high SES (10-year OS) | Stage I/II: 81.7%–91.8%: range by low to high SES (10-year RFS) |
| Poland | Nowecki et al38 | 1997–2004 | Single-center prospective. Median follow-up 3 years | Survival analysis and clinicopathological factors associated with false-negative SN biopsy | 1,207 patients (stage I–III) | Stage I–II: 87.9% Stage III: complete lymph node dissection: 56.8% (OS) Stage III (false negative): 53.7% |
N/R |
| Poland | Rutkowski et al39 | 1994–2007 | Three-center prospective. Median follow-up 49 months | Outcomes of patients with clinical nodal melanoma metastases (known primary tumor – MKP – compared to unknown primary – MUP) | 459 patients (stage IIIB/C) | Stage IIIB/C: MKP 36.0% MUP 41.4% (OS) |
Stage III B/C: MKP 28% MUP 44% |
| The Netherlands | de Vries et al40 | 1995–2009 | Single-center prospective. Median follow-up 64.8 months | Long-term outcome after SN biopsy | 429 patients (stage IB–II) | 5-year OS: Stage I–II: 80.3% Stage III: 67.1% 10-year OS: Stage I–II: 70.1% Stage III: 54.5% 10-year DSS: Stage I–II: 77.0% Stage III: 59.9% |
Stage I–II: 71% Stage III: 48% (10-year RFS) |
| UK | Kettlewell et al41 | 1996–2003 | Single-center prospective. Mean follow-up 42 months | Study to establish the prognostic value of knowledge of SN status in melanoma | 472 patients (stage IB–III) | Stage I–II: 80%a approximately Stage III: 35%a approximately (OS) |
Stage I–II: 82% Stage III: 42% |
Notes: Survival reported is at 5 years from Kaplan–Meier analysis unless otherwise specified: OS or DSS.
a
Data were extracted from figures.
Abbreviations: OS, overall survival; DSS, disease-specific survival; RFS, recurrence-free survival; SN, sentinel node; SES, socioeconomic status; N/R, not reported.