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HEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING

Regional lymphadenectomy

Source: Melanoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: May 2, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.

Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.

Context: Treatment of Resectable Stage III Melanoma / Treatment Options for Resectable Stage III Melanoma / Excision / Lymph node management

In patients with microscopic melanoma in regional lymph nodes, immediate completion lymphadenectomy has widely been replaced by active observation, as long as close follow-up with nodal ultrasound surveillance can be achieved. Completion lymphadenectomy may still be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For patients who present with clinically detected (i.e., macroscopic) regional lymph node involvement in the absence of distant disease, therapeutic regional lymphadenectomy may be performed.

Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice