What should you know about SLNB melanoma?

A sentinel lymph node is the first nearby lymph node, or small group of nodes, that drains fluid from the area where a melanoma was removed. During the procedure, a surgeon identifies and removes this node for laboratory examination. The result helps the melanoma team understand its stage and whether additional treatment should be considered. A clear sentinel node does not remove the need for planned skin checks, because melanoma can recur or appear in another area.

The biopsy is different from removing all lymph nodes. Your team considers the melanoma’s features, location, and other clinical findings before recommending it. Ask how the result would change your care plan.

Discuss the timing of the biopsy with the surgeon who removed or will remove the melanoma. Ask about the anaesthetic, the incision sites, activity restrictions, wound care, and how results will be communicated. Bring a list of medicines and tell the team about allergies, bleeding problems, or previous reactions to anaesthesia.

Treatment after staging varies. It may involve observation, further surgery, or medicines such as immunotherapy, depending on the pathology and the wider assessment. Keep follow-up appointments and examine your skin as advised.

Contact the surgical team promptly for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, wound opening, fever, or pain that is becoming harder to control. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, severe swelling, or symptoms that feel like an emergency. New persistent headaches, seizures, confusion, or changes in vision need urgent medical assessment because they can have causes that require prompt attention.

Ask: Why is sentinel lymph node biopsy being offered for my melanoma? Which node or nodes will be tested? When should I expect the pathology result? What would a positive or negative result mean for surgery, surveillance, or medicines? How should I care for the wound and protect the scar?