Melanoma Patients with an Unknown Primary Tumor Site Have a Better Outcome than Those with a Known Primary Following Therapeutic Lymph Node Dissection for Macroscopic (Clinically Palpable) Nodal Disease

Background Several reports in the literature suggest a difference in outcome between melanoma patients with macroscopic (clinically palpable) nodal disease from an unknown primary (MUP) and a known primary (MKP). The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes for MUP and MKP patients after therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND) for macroscopic nodal disease.