Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32939750›Full record

Trial reportJournal of surgical oncology2021

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is associated with increased cost in higher risk thin melanoma.

Taylor J Aiken, Christopher C Stahl, Patrick B Schwartz, James Barrett, Alexandra W Acher, Deborah Lemaster, Glen Leverson, Sharon Weber, Heather Neuman, Daniel E Abbott

Open access · greenAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of surgical oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 42% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Taylor J AikenDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1139-9822
Christopher C StahlDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Patrick B SchwartzDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
James BarrettDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8022-4287
Alexandra W AcherDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Deborah LemasterDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Glen LeversonDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Sharon WeberDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Heather NeumanDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Daniel E AbbottDepartment of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
UW Health University Hospital · US

Funding

Molecular & Environmental Toxicology Pre-& Postdoctoral Training ProgramT32ES007015 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI CHRISTOPHER A BRADFIELD · 1985 to 2026
$11.5M
UW Surgical Oncology Research Training Program (UW-SORT)T32CA090217 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI Muhammed Murtaza, Heather B Neuman · 2001 to 2026
$8.3M
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA090217NIEHS NIH HHS T32 ES007015NIH HHS T32 CA090217NIH HHS T32 ES007015
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionNational Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) be discussed with patients with thin melanoma at higher risk for lymph node metastasis (T1b or T1a with positive deep margins, lymphovascular invasion, or high mitotic index). We examined the association between SLNB and resource utilization in this cohort.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients that underwent wide local excision for higher risk thin melanomas from 2009 to 2018 at a tertiary care center. Patients who underwent SLNB were compared to those who did not undergo SLNB with regard to resource utilization, including total hospital cost.

resultsA total of 70 patients were included in the analysis and 50 patients (71.4%) underwent SLNB. SLNB was associated with increased hospital costs ($6700 vs. $3767; p < .01) and increased operative time (68.5 vs. 36.0 min; p < .01). This cost difference persisted in multivariable regression (p < .01). Of patients who underwent successful SLN mapping, 3 out of 49 patients had a positive SLN (6.1%). The cost to identify a single positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) was $47,906.

conclusionIn patients with a higher risk of thin melanoma, SLNB is associated with increased cost despite a low likelihood of SLN positivity. These data better inform patient-provider discussions as the role of SLNB in thin melanoma evolves.

Indexed as

AdultAgedCost-Benefit AnalysisFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMelanomaMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesSentinel Lymph NodeSentinel Lymph Node BiopsySkin Neoplasmshospital costmelanomaresource utilizationsentinel lymph node biopsy

Identifiers

PMID32939750
PMCPMC7770044
OpenAlexW3087273251

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.