Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40243383›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of surgery2025

External validation of a model to predict recurrence-free and melanoma-specific survival for patients with melanoma after sentinel node biopsy.

Robert C Stassen, Carolien C H M Maas, Stanley P Leong, Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, Richard L White, Barbara A Pockaj, Jonathan S Zager, Schlomo Schneebaum, John T Vetto, Eli Avisar and 8 more

Abstract readValidation StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

18 authors.

Robert C StassenDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-6196-6966
Carolien C H M MaasDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Stanley P LeongDepartment of Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center and Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA.
Mohammed Kashani-SabetDepartment of Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center and Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA.
Richard L WhiteDepartment of Surgery, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Barbara A PockajDepartment of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Jonathan S ZagerDepartment of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Schlomo SchneebaumDepartment of Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
John T VettoDivision of Surgical Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Eli AvisarDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
J Harrison HowardDepartment of Surgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA.
Cristina O'DonoghueDepartment of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Heidi KosiorekDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
Alexander C J van AkkooiMelanoma Institute Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Cornelis VerhoefDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9980-8613
David van KlaverenDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Dirk J GrünhagenDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8293-6002
Roger Olofsson BaggeDepartment of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5795-0355

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecently, a model to predict 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was published. The aim of this study was to validate that model in a large independent international cohort.

methodsThe database of the Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group (SLNWG) was analysed for patients with malignant melanoma who underwent SLNB. Patients with clinical stage III melanoma, a history of other malignancies, or receiving concomitant systemic therapies during follow-up were excluded. The model's predictive performance was evaluated using discrimination and calibration metrics in the eligible cohort. Decision curve analysis was performed to assess the clinical value of the model.

resultsThe external validation cohort consisted of 6174 patients of the SLNWG from the USA, Europe, and Israel. A positive sentinel node was found in 788 patients (12.8%). The area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the external validation was 0.76 (95% c.i. 0.74 to 0.77) for RFS and 0.79 (95% c.i. 0.76 to 0.81) for MSS. The model was well calibrated, as the observed 5-year survival rates aligned closely with the predicted survival rates (calibration slope of 0.98 for RFS and calibration slope of 0.99 for MSS). The model provided a net benefit versus the 'treat all' and 'treat none' strategies at the predetermined probability threshold for recurrence of 45%.

conclusionThe model demonstrated good performance in a large heterogeneous independent cohort, emphasizing its robustness. Decision curve analysis revealed a clear net benefit of the model over a treat all strategy, highlighting its potential for clinical use.

Indexed as

MelanomaSentinel Lymph Node BiopsySkin NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalPrognosis

Identifiers

PMID40243383
PMCPMC12004364

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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.