Models for Predicting Melanoma Outcome
10 February 2020This chapter presents clinical applications, criteria, challenges, and opportunities for interpreting and building tools for predicting melanoma outcomes.
Biomarkers for Melanoma
10 February 2020This chapter reviews tumor tissue-based biomarkers, tumor environment-based biomarkers, soluble biomarkers of the peripheral blood, as well as treatment-associated biomarkers. These biomarkers might not only be useful for diagnostics, prognostication, and prediction of treatment outcomes but in particular for the continuous monitoring of a patient’s course of disease over time.
Biopsy of Suspected Melanoma
10 February 2020This chapter describes important considerations when performing a biopsy of a lesion suspicious for melanoma, commonly used biopsy techniques, and their applications to maximize biopsy accuracy in the initial diagnosis of melanoma.
Melanoma Prognosis and Staging
10 February 2020This chapter reviews the prognostic factors relevant to current melanoma practice with an emphasis on factors that have significance in contemporary statistical analyses, using the eighth edition AJCC melanoma staging system and an international database analysis as a framework.
Opposite Roles of BAP1 in Overall Survival of Uveal Melanoma and Cutaneous Melanoma
9 February 2020In this recent study, low BAP1 mRNA was significantly associated with a better OS in cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients, in sharp contrast to uveal melanoma (UM). Function of BAP1 was largely different in CM and UM despite of a small subset of shared co-expressed genes.
Value of circulating tumor cell assessment to identify relapse risk
9 February 2020According to this recent study, circulating tumor cell (CTC) assessment may be useful to identify patients at risk for relapse who could derive benefit from adjuvant therapy.
Superiority of pembrolizumab versus ipilimumab in advanced melanoma
8 February 2020In this recent study, pembrolizumab continued to show superiority over ipilimumab after almost 5 years of follow-up. These results provide further support for use of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma of the head and neck can be successfully performed after previous wide local excision
8 February 2020This recent study shows that sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma of the head and neck can be successfully performed in patients after previous wide local excision.
Comparative effectiveness study of face-to-face and teledermatology workflows for diagnosing skin cancer
8 February 2020This recent study compared the risks of biopsy and cancer diagnosis among two face-to-face workflows (direct referral and roving dermatologist) and four teledermatology workflows. It concludes that implementation is critical to the effectiveness of teledermatology.
Accuracy of partial biopsies in the management of cutaneous melanoma
8 February 2020This recent study explains that in most cases, partial biopsy (particularly shave biopsy) can provide sufficient information to plan for definitive surgical melanoma management. Punch and incisional biopsies have elevated upstaging rates, a consideration in planning therapy. Partial biopsies of desmoplastic or acral lentiginous melanomas have high rates of upstaging and should have a complete excision prior to definitive treatment.