My husband has a melanoma on the right side of his stomach. blood work, x-ray and pet scan are normal. does that mean it is not nessery for a node biopsy?

It depends/excision.: It really depends on whether or not you have palpable/feelable lymph nodes on his physical exam. If not, i don't think lymph node bioopsy is needed. However, the melanoma itself should be removed with wide excision to determine its type and spread. This is important because it determines what kind of therapy you will likely get.

Not necessarily: The decision to perform a sentinel node biopsy hinges on factors in the original melanoma biopsy and is not affected by "negative" x-rays or scans because only sentinel node biopsy can detect microscopic disease in lymph nodes.

Breslow depth?: The decision to do a sentinel lymph node biopsy depends on the characteristics of the primary melanoma. A melanoma with a breslow depth of 1mm or greater should undergo a sentinel lymph node biopsy. In addition tumors with less than 1mm but with worrisome characteristics can be considered for a sentinel lymph node biopsy.