Prognostic factors in localized invasive primary cutaneous malignant melanoma: results of a large population-based study.

Background: The prognostic impact of several histopathological prognostic features in cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) remains controversial.

Objectives: To assess the independent prognostic value of mitotic rate, regression, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and growth phase in primary stage I and II CMMs.

Methods: Clinicohistopathological data were obtained from the Stockholm-Gotland registry for 4237 patients diagnosed with an incident primary stage I or II CMM followed up to December 2011.

KIT, NRAS, BRAF and PTEN mutations in a sample of Swedish patients with acral lentiginous melanoma.

Background: Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) accounts for <10% of all melanomas in Caucasians. Although the involvement of KIT, NRAS and BRAF mutations is well known in ALM, the impact of these mutations on clinicopathological features has not been established.

Objective: To define the KIT, NRAS, BRAF and PTEN mutation frequencies in Swedish patients with ALM and to evaluate the impact of mutation status on patient and tumor characteristics.

Interobserver variability of histopathological prognostic parameters in cutaneous malignant melanoma: impact on patient management.

Clinical management of primary cutaneous melanomas is based on histopathological staging of the tumour. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a non-selected population in clinical practice, the agreement rate between general pathologists and pathologists experienced in melanoma in terms of the evaluation of histopathological prognostic parameters in cutaneous malignant melanomas, and to what extent the putative variability affected clinical management. A total of 234 cases of invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma were included in the study from the Stockholm-Gotland Healthcare Region in Sweden.

KIT pathway alterations in mucosal melanomas of the vulva and other sites.

Purpose: A significant proportion of mucosal melanomas contain alterations in KIT. The aim of this study was to characterize the pattern of KIT, NRAS, and BRAF mutations in mucosal melanomas at specific sites and to assess activation of the KIT downstream RAF/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathways in mucosal melanoma specimens.

Experimental Design: Seventy-one primary mucosal melanomas from various sites were studied.