Applications

1485 – Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for intermediate thickness melanoma

Find out about the service or technology in this application and the medical condition it addresses. You can also view the application documents, the deadlines for providing consultation input and the outcome of the application when the MSAC process is complete.

  • Status Complete
  • Type New application
  • Pre-PASC consultation -
  • Pre-MSAC consultation -
  • Outcome Deferred

Application details

Reason for application

New MBS item.

Service or technology in this application

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNBx) is a procedure performed to determine if melanoma cells have spread to the sentinel lymph nodes for patients with intermediate thickness melanoma.

SLNBx with excision of lymph node(s) is identified by a combination of blue dye (lymphotropic dye injection) and lymphoscintography/gamma probe, ideally performed at the time of the primary melanoma wide excision.

Type: Investigative

Medical condition this application addresses

Melanoma is a malignancy of skin pigment cells (melanocytes). The lifetime risk for melanoma in Australia is 1 in 24 for males and 1 in 35 for females. In 2011 there were 11,500 new cases diagnosed in Australia (Cancer Council Australia) and more than 1,500 die each year from the disease.

About 70% of cases are diagnosed at an early stage (<1.0mm thickness) where 5-year survival is > 95%. With increasing depth, there is a stepwise decline in survival. Sentinel node status is the most significant prognostic indicator in patients with intermediate thickness melanoma. Patients with intermediate thickness melanoma (1.0-4.0mm depth) have an increased risk of lymph node involvement and hence poorer survival.

Application documents

Application form

PICO confirmation

Public summary document

Final stakeholder meeting minutes

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Meetings to consider this application

  • PASC meeting: 11 August 2017
  • ESC meeting: 8 June 2018
  • MSAC meeting: 26 - 27 July 2018

Stakeholder meeting

Wednesday 7 November 2018, members of MSAC, clinicians with experience and expertise in clinical oncology, pathology, dermatology and clinical genetics; representatives of the applicant; representatives from consumer organisations; and representatives from the Department of Health met to discuss sentinel lymph node biopsy for intermediate thickness and thick melanoma. This was not an MSAC decision forum, but a meeting that would inform the issues considered by MSAC, following its July 2018 consideration of application 1485. The final minutes of this meeting are above.