Multiple Lymph Node Basin Drainage in Trunk Melanoma Is Not Associated with Survival of Sentinel Lymph Node-Positive Patients.

Objectives: This study was aimed at investigating the prognostic role of multiple lymph node basin drainage (MLBD) in patients with positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy.

Background: MLBD is frequently observed in patients with trunk melanoma undergoing SLN. The prognostic value of MLBD in SLN-positive patients is still debated.

Psychological characteristics of early-stage melanoma patients: a cross-sectional study on 204 patients.

The presence of psychological distress has a negative impact not only on cancer patients' quality of life but also on the course of the disease, with slower recovery and increased morbidity. These issues are of particular importance in melanoma patients (MP), who remain at risk of disease progression for many years after diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate psychological distress, coping strategies, and their possible relationships with demographic-clinical features in patients with early-stage melanoma in follow-up.

Metastatic sebaceous cell carcinoma, review of the literature and use of electrochemotherapy as possible new treatment modality.

Background: Metastatic extraorbital sebaceous carcinoma is a rare event that could involve the head and neck. The treatment of choice for the initial stage of the disease is surgery and/or radiotherapy. The treatment of recurrent or advanced disease is still controversial.

Efficacy of electrochemotherapy for eruptive legs keratoacanthomas.

Generalized eruptive keratoacanthoma, is considered a serious condition because the eruptions are diffuse, persistent, and recurrent. Constant pruritus, visceral neoplasms, and unsatisfactory response to treatment are ominous prognostic factors. Even if skin cancers are usually well controlled with surgical and/or radiotherapic approaches, there are some cases in which these two techniques are not effective.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in cutaneous melanoma.

The management of melanoma is constantly evolving. New therapies and surgical advances have changed the landscape over the last years. Since being introduced by Dr Donald Morton, the role of sentinel lymph node has been debated.

Squamocellular Carcinoma of the Skin: Clinicopathological Features Predicting the Involvement of the Surgical Margins and Review of the Literature.

Background: The new AJCC classification has highlighted some particular risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) relevant for prognosis. Incomplete excision is not infrequent in SCC. The aim of this study is to examine features that can predict an incomplete excision on the basis of the new AJCC classification and to review the literature on this topic.

Prognostic Role of Multiple Lymphatic Basin Drainage in Sentinel Lymph Node-Negative Trunk Melanoma Patients: A Multicenter Study from the Italian Melanoma Intergroup.

Background: Multiple lymphatic basin drainage (MLBD) is frequently observed in patients with trunk melanoma undergoing sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Conflicting data regarding the prognostic association of MLBD in SLN-negative patients have been reported. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of MLBD in patients with negative SLN biopsy.

Association of Histologic Regression in Primary Melanoma With Sentinel Lymph Node Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: The prognostic significance of regression in primary melanoma has been debated for many years. There is no consensus regarding the need for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy when regression is present within the primary tumor.

Objective: To review the evidence that regression may affect SLN status.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Thick-Melanoma Patients (N=350): What is Its Prognostic Role?

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is currently recommended for patients with intermediate-thickness melanomas (T2-T3). Historically, T4 melanoma patients have not been considered good candidates for SLNB because of the high risk of distant progression. However, some authors suggest that T4 melanoma patients could be considered as a heterogeneous group that could benefit from SLNB.

Risk factors related to late metastases in 1,372 melanoma patients disease free more than 10 years.

In many centers, Stage I-II melanoma patients are considered "cured" after 10 years of disease-free survival and follow-up visits are interrupted. However, melanoma may relapse also later. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 1,372 Stage I-II melanoma patients who were disease-free 10 years after diagnosis.

Long-term survival after multidisciplinary management of a metastatic sarcomatoid porocarcinoma with repeated exeresis, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and cetuximab: case report and review of literature.

Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive skin neoplasm; only two cases of sarcomatoid differentiation have been reported. Whereas surgery is effective as first line treatment, optimal management of recurrent or metastatic porocarcinoma is not defined and needs multidisciplinary approach. Here we described the first reported case of metastatic sarcomatoid porocarcinoma.

Prognostic differences across sexes in melanoma patients: what has changed from the past?

Differences across the sexes include epidemiological trends, distribution of clinical features and prognostic relevance in melanoma patients. The aims of this single-institution hospital-based cohort study were as follows: to assess the trends over time of the male/female ratio; to analyse the clinicopathologic features according to sex and their modifications following the introduction in 1999 of sentinel lymph node biopsy; to ascertain the metastatic pathways across sexes and the prognostic role of sex in the disease-free interval (DFI), disease-specific survival (DSS) and survival after recurrence. The patient population included 4310 stage I-II melanoma patients, diagnosed, treated and followed up in our institution from 1975.

Number of excised lymph nodes as a quality assurance measure for lymphadenectomy in melanoma.

Importance: Although the number of excised lymph nodes (LNs) represents a quality assurance measure in lymphadenectomy for many solid tumors, the minimum number of LNs to be dissected has not been established for melanoma.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of the number of excised LNs in a large patient series (N = 2526) to identify values that may serve as benchmarks for monitoring the quality of lymphadenectomy in patients with melanoma.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted (1992-2010) in tertiary referral centers for treatment of cutaneous melanoma.

Melanoma in patients younger than 20 years.

Aim: Melanoma is rare in children and uncommon in adolescents. Clinical and prognostic factors can differ from adult population. There is often a delay in diagnosis and the therapeutic management is not unequivocally established.

Favourable prognostic role of regression of primary melanoma in AJCC stage I-II patients.

Background: The prognostic significance of regression in primary melanoma has been debated over the past few years. Once it was considered to be a negative prognostic factor, as it may have prevented proper melanoma thickness measurement, therefore affecting the staging of the tumours. For this reason, it was considered to be an indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in melanoma < 1 mm.

Melanoma relapse over a pacemaker pocket: case report and integrated management strategies.

We report the first related case of a metastasis from melanoma appeared on a pacemaker device pocket. The stadiation exams showed that this is the only localization of the pathology. The integrated management from both cardiologic and dermatologic surgery was described.

An ultrasonography-cytology protocol for the diagnostic management of regional nodes in a subset of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin.

Background: The status of regional lymph nodes (LNs) is one of the most consistent predictors of survival in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). In cases of clinically localized disease, current practice involves sentinel lymph node (SLN) assessment.

Objectives: To propose ultrasonography (US) followed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and immunohistochemistry as a useful diagnostic tool in the pre-surgical management of patients with MCC.

Relevance of multiple basin drainage and primary histologic regression in prognosis of trunk melanoma patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes.

Background: Lymphatic drainage to multiple basins (MLBD) is frequently observed in patients with primary melanoma located in the trunk. Conflicting data regarding the prognostic impact of MLBD are reported.

Objective And Methods: We reviewed our case series of 352 patients with trunk melanoma to evaluate the pattern of basin drainage and to analyse whether different basin drainages may have different significance in negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) patients.

Melanoma arising on a scar 10 years after a burn: management and review of the literature.

We report a case of a melanoma arising after about 10 years after a burn injury. This is an uncommon example of a carcinogenetic event that could be prevented or diagnosed early. Usually, the mutagenic event clinically appears many years after the burn especially if it was not treated correctly with a careful surgical approach.

Expression of p63 is the sole independent marker of aggressiveness in localised (stage I-II) Merkel cell carcinomas.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin is a malignant neuroendocrine tumour, whose prognostic criteria are a matter of dispute. Specifically, no predictor is presently available in stage I-II tumours. We collected clinical and follow-up data from 70 Merkel cell carcinomas of the skin.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the umbilicus: management of an unusual localization.

We describe the case of a squamous cell carcinoma spreading to the skin and regional lymph nodes from the umbilicus. Bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy and a session of electrochemotherapy with bleomycin 15 mg/m2 were performed. However, because of the development of new cutaneous nodules in the abdominopelvic region, we performed targeted palliative therapy with erlotinib 150 mg/day.

Disease progression in melanoma patients with negative sentinel lymph node: does false-negative specimens entirely account for this phenomenon?

Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is the most important prognostic factor for subjects with primary melanoma thicker than 1 mm.

Objective: We focused our study on patients with disease progression after negative SLN biopsy (SLNB), with the aim of elucidating their clinical and histopathological characteristics, outcome and real incidence of false negative.

Methods: A total of 688 melanoma patients who underwent SLNB (1 May 1998-31 December 2008) were analysed; all patients had Breslow >1 mm or Breslow <1 mm and at least one of the following features: regression, ulceration and/or Clark level IV-V.

Clinico-pathologic features of primary melanoma and sentinel lymph node predictive for non-sentinel lymph node involvement and overall survival in melanoma patients: a single centre observational cohort study.

Objective: Completion Lymph Node Dissection (CLND) is the current standard of practice for patients with a positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB). Significant morbidity is associated to CLND, so we tried to evaluate which prognostic variables could predict NSLN invasion in SLN-positive patients and their impact on the overall survival (OS).

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 603 patients that had undergone SLNB for melanoma between 2000 and 2009 at our department was done.