Understanding a sentinel lymph node biopsy service for patients with malignant melanoma

Abstract

Malignant melanoma cases represented the seventh most common cancer type in Northern Ireland between 2011 and 2015, and the incidence of melanoma cases is expected to rise. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is commonly offered to patients in the UK with malignant melanoma to help in staging their disease, but a commissioned SLNB service is not available in Northern Ireland. This article describes a Florence Nightingale Foundation Travel Scholarship to gain knowledge and experience with the aim of developing and implementing an effective and efficient SLNB service for patients with malignant melanoma in Northern Ireland. A 3-week visit was made to an eminent centre of excellence in skin oncology in the UK.