Tracking the risk factors associated with high-risk cSCC: A 10-year, Two-Institution, Greek study.

Purpose: We sought to identify independent risk factors for positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), local recurrence (LR), metastasis (M) and death caused by cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) (DCS) in high-risk cSCC patients. Moreover, we compared the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) system with the previous used in Greece (based on tumor size) and proposed a new classification system.

Methods: 1,524 cSCC patients were enrolled between January 2004 and December 2014, from two medical institutions.

Cutaneous Vasculopathy in a COVID-19 Critically Ill Patient: A Histologic, Immunohistochemical, and Electron Microscopy Study.

We describe a critically ill, SARS-CoV-2 positive patient with respiratory failure and thrombotic/livedoid skin lesions, appearing during the course of the disease. The biopsy of the lesions revealed an occlusive, pauci-inflammatory vasculopathy of the cutaneous small vessels characterized by complement and fibrinogen deposition on vascular walls, pointing to a thrombotic vasculopathy. Transmission electron microscopy of the affected skin failed to reveal any viral inclusions.

Advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: how is it defined and what new therapeutic approaches are available?

Purpose Of Review: Despite the overall excellent survival rates in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), advanced cutaneous SCCs are associated with high patient morbidity and mortality. Therefore, important unmet clinical needs persist: identifying high risk patients and choosing optimal treatment approaches.

Recent Findings: In recent years, a better understanding of the biology of cSCC and its clinical progression have led to improved staging systems and new promising treatments for advanced disease.

A Practical Guide for the Follow-Up of Patients with Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma During Treatment with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors.

The Hedgehog pathway inhibitors (HPIs), vismodegib and sonidegib, are increasingly employed in the treatment of patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The aim of this review is to create a synthesis of available information in the literature regarding the follow-up of patients with advanced BCC treated with HPIs and to provide the treating physician with a structured practical guide to standardize clinical practice. Several challenges during treatment are addressed: to optimally evaluate tumor responses, to differentiate between resistance (HPI rechallenge not possible) and recurrence (HPI rechallenge may be possible) in case of BCC regrowth, to readily assess for toxicity and tolerability issues, to provide patients with practical ways and behaviors to effectively cope with adverse events, and to improve patient adherence and quality of life.

Use of vismodegib for the treatment of multiple basal cell carcinomas in a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum.

A female patient with xeroderma pigmentosum and multiple basal cell carcinomas was treated with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor (vismodegib), which successfully treated the majority of her basal cell carcinomas while preventing the appearance of new lesions. The sum diameter of lesions showed a 61% decrease after 16.5 months of treatment, although after 18.

MelaNostrum: a consensus questionnaire of standardized epidemiologic and clinical variables for melanoma risk assessment by the melanostrum consortium.

Background: Many melanoma observational studies have been carried out across different countries and geographic areas using heterogeneous assessments of epidemiologic risk factors and clinical variables.

Aim: To develop a consensus questionnaire to standardize epidemiologic and clinical data collection for melanoma risk assessment.

Methods: We used a stepwise strategy that included: compilation of variables from case-control datasets collected at various centres of the MelaNostrum Consortium; integration of variables from published case-control studies; consensus discussion of the collected items by MelaNostrum members; revision by independent experts; addition of online tools and image-based charts; questionnaire testing across centres and generation of a final draft.

An update on molecular alterations in melanocytic tumors with emphasis on Spitzoid lesions.

Significant progress in the molecular pathology of melanocytic tumors have revealed that benign neoplasms, so-called nevi, are initiated by gain-of-function mutations in one of several primary oncogenes, such as in acquired melanocytic nevi, in congenital nevi or / in blue nevi, with consequent MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation. Secondary genetic alterations overcome tumor suppressive mechanisms and allow the progression to intermediate lesions characterized by TERT-p mutation or to invasive melanomas displaying disruption of tumor suppressor genes. Currently, melanoma is molecularly regarded as four different diseases, namely , , and the "triple wild type" subtypes, which are associated with particular clinicopathological features.

Hereditary melanoma: Update on syndromes and management: Emerging melanoma cancer complexes and genetic counseling.

Recent advances in cancer genomics have enabled the discovery of many cancer-predisposing genes that are being used to classify new familial melanoma/cancer syndromes. In addition to CDKN2A and CDK4, germline variants in TERT, MITF, and BAP1 have been added to the list of genes harboring melanoma-predisposing mutations. These newer entities may have escaped earlier description in part because of more advanced technologies now being used and in part because of their mixed cancer phenotype as opposed to a melanoma-focused syndrome.

Hereditary melanoma: Update on syndromes and management: Genetics of familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome.

Malignant melanoma is considered the most lethal skin cancer if it is not detected and treated during its early stages. About 10% of melanoma patients report a family history of melanoma; however, individuals with features of true hereditary melanoma (ie, unilateral lineage, multigenerational, multiple primary lesions, and early onset of disease) are in fact quite rare. Although many new loci have been implicated in hereditary melanoma, CDKN2A mutations remain the most common.

A double-blind vehicle-controlled study of a preparation containing undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2% in the treatment of melasma in females.

Background: Undecylenoyl phenylalanine is a novel skin-lightening agent, probably acting as α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and beta-adrenergic receptor (β-ADR) antagonist.

Objectives: The objective of this double-blind randomized comparative study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a preparation containing undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2% in the topical treatment of melasma in females.

Methods: Forty female patients with melasma were randomly assigned to apply either the active preparation or the vehicle alone, twice daily for 12 weeks.