[Preventive lymphadenectomy in complex treatment of melanoma of the skin, trunk and extremities].

Results of treatment of 90 patients with primary melanoma of the skin, trunk and extremities with stages T2-T4N0M0 were analyzed. Different strategies were used in relation to regional lymph nodes. It was found that prophylactic lymphadenectomy in terms of more than 4 weeks after excision of primary cutaneous melanoma reliably prolongs total and recurrence-free survival as compared with the method without fulfilling prophylactic lymphadenectomy. Prophylactic lymphadenectomy fulfilled in terms less than 4 weeks fails to have statistically significant influence on the results of treatment.