ASO Author Reflections: Adjuvant Therapy for Stage III Melanoma With or Without Completion Lymph Node Dissection

Abstract

The treatment of stage III melanoma has transformed dramatically over the past decade with the de-escalation of the surgical management of clinically occult regional nodal disease and the advent of modern adjuvant therapies. Completion lymph node dissection (CLND) following a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is being employed less commonly and high-risk patients are more often receiving adjuvant therapy with either immune checkpoint blockade or molecular-targeted therapy. This paradigm shift has occurred despite the landmark trials for modern adjuvant therapies including only patients who underwent CLND prior to enrollment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of modern adjuvant therapies and outcomes for patients with stage III melanoma who did not undergo CLND.