Critical appraisal:Murali R, Shaw HM, Lai K, McCarthy SW, Quinn MJ, Stretch JR, et al 2010

Critical Appraisal

Article being appraised

Murali R, Shaw HM, Lai K, McCarthy SW, Quinn MJ, Stretch JR, et al. Prognostic factors in cutaneous desmoplastic melanoma: a study of 252 patients. Cancer 2010 Sep 1;116(17):4130-8 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20564101.

Applicable clinical question

• What is the role of sentinel node biopsy for desmoplastic neurotropic melanomas?

Key Facts

Study Design

case series

Study aims:

To determine the value of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma tumors that exhibited desmoplasia and analysed the prognostic value of various clinicopatholic factors in these patients. To determine whether extent of desmoplasia was predictive of sentinel lymph node tumour-harbouring status and clinical outcome.

Number of Patients:

252

252 patients with DM who underwent SLNB.

Reported outcome(s):

rate of sentinel node metastasis

Results of outcome(s):

17/252 patients were had sentinel node metastasis (6.7%).

Includes an economic evaluation

no

Evidence ratings

Level of evidence

IV

Risk of bias

High risk of bias

Comments: Please replace this text and include any additional comments in regards to your risk of bias rating

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Risk of bias assessment: case series

Subject selection:

Highly selected or not described (e.g. single-institution study)

Were the outcome measures blind to pre/post-intervention?

No, but objective measures used

Follow-up complete and all patients included in the analysis?

Yes (follow-up >95%)

Size of effect

5	Reason for decision: Please replace this text and briefly describe the reasons for your rating

Relevance of evidence

2	Additional comments: Please replace this text and briefly describe the reasons for your rating

Result of appraisal

Included

Completed by

Cecilia Taing

This appraisal has been completed.

Article

Murali R, Shaw HM, Lai K, McCarthy SW, Quinn MJ, Stretch JR, et al. Prognostic factors in cutaneous desmoplastic melanoma: a study of 252 patients. Cancer 2010 Sep 1;116(17):4130-8 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20564101.

Assigned to

User:Cecilia.taing

Topic area

Guidelines:Melanoma

Clinical question

• What is the role of sentinel node biopsy for desmoplastic neurotropic melanomas?

Form

Form:Critical appraisal

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