Upcoming Live Webcast
The incidence of melanoma is increasing at a higher rate than most cancers. While it currently accounts for approximately four percent of skin cancers, it causes the most skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006 there will be 62,190 new cases of melanoma in the United States and about 7,910 people will die of this disease.
On November 7 at 5 p.m. EST, Edward Levine, M.D., professor of surgical oncology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and colleagues will perform a wide excision and sentinel lymph node mapping procedure for a melanoma during a live webcast. Surgical oncologists John Stewart, M.D., and Perry Shen, M.D., will moderate the webcast and assist with the surgery.
The sentinel node is the first regional node in the lymphatic drainage pathway from the primary tumor. The tumor status of the sentinel node determines the likelihood of whether the disease has spread to the remaining lymph nodes.
Sentinel lymph node mapping improves the staging of the disease and accuracy of the prognosis. It also serves as a guide for determining what additional therapies would be most effective after surgery.