ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Serum S100B and LDH, as well as the status of the sentinel node, have been reported as prognostic markers in melanoma patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of serum S-100B and LDH in melanoma patients prior to sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) with respect to the clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum S100B and LDH were measured prior to SLND in 259 melanoma patients between 2000 and 2006. Upper institutional limits were 0.12 microg/l for S100B and 240U/l for LDH. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 27.1 months. The median S-100B value for SN-negative and SN-positive patients was 0.06 microg/l and 0.05 microg/l, respectively (p=0.291). Similarly for LDH, the values were 171.5 U/l and 166.5 U/l, respectively (p=0.763). Neither of the proposed markers were a statistically significant prognostic parameter for disease-free survival (DFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS). CONCLUSION: In the present study neither serum S100B nor LDH prior to SLND were useful in predicting the histopathological status of the sentinel node. None of them correlated with DFS, DMFS or OS.
