This national cohort analysis evaluated the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with clinical stage IIB/C cutaneous melanoma. The study examined whether SLNB provides prognostic and therapeutic benefit in this higher-risk melanoma population, analyzing recurrence-free survival and overall survival outcomes. The data contribute to the ongoing discussion about optimal staging procedures for intermediate to thick melanomas.

SLNB provides important prognostic information for clinical stage IIB/C melanoma patients, guiding adjuvant therapy decisions.

Completion lymph node dissection is increasingly replaced by adjuvant immunotherapy in SLN-positive patients.

The role of SLNB is evolving with the availability of effective adjuvant checkpoint inhibitor therapies.