Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Kelly McMasters M.D., Ph.D. , a nationally recognized authority on the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma, unveiled a new, more accurate tool for predicting prognosis for melanoma patients who have undergone sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. SLN biopsy is a minimally invasive method for determining whether melanoma has spread to regional lymph nodes and is important for deciding the best treatment options to prevent recurrence.

From a statistical basis, the calculator uses data from the well-known Sunbelt Melanoma Trial, a multi-center randomized prospective trial involving patients across the United States and Canada. The Melanoma Calculator evaluates more than 200,000 conditions including both node-negative and node-positive patients. This journal publication compares the performance of the Melanoma Calculator to the previously used AJCC staging tool and provides more background information.

"We have put extensive effort and resources into the research and development of the Melanoma Calculator. While no model to estimate prognosis is perfect, the Melanoma Calculator app is a valuable tool for estimating individual patient prognosis and helps patients to understand and decide on the best treatment options. The availability of this tool on the web and on handheld devices makes it easy to use in the clinic--we use it regularly in our clinic," Dr. McMasters said.

The Melanoma Calculator is now available as a native mobile app on Apple® iPhone®, iPad® and Android® devices and as a web application.

The Melanoma Calculator on the web: http://www.melanomacalculator.com