Sentinel lymph node biopsy for high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancers.

BACKGROUND: Although the utility of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the staging of melanoma is well established, its usefulness in high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is yet to be determined.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to report our experience with patients who underwent SLNB for the staging of a high-risk NMSC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 13 patients with a high-risk NMSC who underwent SLNB between 1998 and 2006 and conducted a retrospective review of their medical records and tumor pathology. Their status as regards tumor recurrence and survival was obtained when possible.

RESULTS: Of 13 patients, 9 had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 2 had sebaceous gland carcinoma, 1 had porocarcinoma, and 1 had atypical fibroxanthoma. All SLNB were negative for metastatic disease, but 1 appeared to be a false-negative finding.

CONCLUSION: Compared to melanoma, SCC of the skin are much less predictable as regards their tendency to metastasize to the regional lymph nodes. Although the SLNB appears to be a reliable staging procedure for NMSC (especially SCC), the yield may be too low to justify its routine use in this patient population. More data are needed to determine when a SLNB is justified in the management of NMSC.