The operative management of melanoma: where does Mohs surgery fit in?

Dermatol Surg

Division of Dermatological Surgery, Department of Dermatology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Published: August 2011

Background: Melanoma is a life-threatening malignancy. Surgery is the primary management for melanoma, and management guidelines have evolved gradually over a century from radical surgery with lymph node dissection to conservative margin surgery. There are specific rationales and problems with Mohs micrographic (MMS) surgery for managing melanoma.

Objective: To review the literature for the surgical management of melanoma and to understand where MMS fits in this spectrum of management options.

Conclusions: MMS should be considered as an option for melanoma surgery, especially when the tumor is found in photodamaged skin. Further randomized prospective clinical trials are needed to select the best therapeutic approach for the treatment of melanoma. Until then, careful margin control is the key for successful tumor removal whether it is standard excision, staged excision, or MMS.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02005.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

management melanoma
12
melanoma
6
surgery
6
operative management
4
melanoma mohs
4
mohs surgery
4
surgery fit
4
fit in?
4
in? background
4
background melanoma
4

Similar Publications

The therapeutic management of melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, remains challenging. In the search for more effective therapeutic options, metal-based complexes are being investigated for their anticancer properties. Cisplatin was the first clinically approved platinum-based drug and, based on its success, other metals (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Lymphedema represents a frequent cause of disability for patients undergoing oncological treatments and, being a chronic, non-reversible pathology, requires targeted and continuous rehabilitation treatments. To date, the studies available on the use of ultrasound in patients with lymphedema mainly report descriptive data; therefore, with this study, we wanted to describe in a more objective way the typical ultrasound alterations found in these patients, measuring the thickness of the different superficial structures, and defining subcutis echogenicity.

Methods: 14 patients affected by secondary lymphedema of the upper limbs were enrolled in this cross-sectional observational study (12 had breast cancer and 2 with melanoma as their primary diagnosis).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Melanoma is one of the most malignant cancers, and the global incidence of cutaneous melanoma is increasing. While melanomas are highly prone to metastasize if diagnosed late, early detection and treatment significantly reduce the risk of mortality. Identifying patients at higher risk of metastasis, who might benefit from early adjuvant therapies, is particularly important, especially with the advent of new melanoma treatments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

New Screening Methods in Melanoma.

Cancers (Basel)

December 2024

Department of Management and Logistics in Healthcare, Medical University of Lodz, 90-131 Lodz, Poland.

Background: The World Health Organisation reports that melanoma had an incidence of 331,722 cases worldwide in 2022, ranking it 17th on the list of the most prevalent malignancies. This disease is a threat to public health as years of potential life lost from melanoma deaths constitute an economic and social burden; it is, however, curable if detected early. This study aims to show current trends in clinical trials for melanoma screening.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Primary gynecological melanomas are rare malignancies with lower survival rates compared to cutaneous melanomas. Both preclinical and clinical data support the evidence that mucosal melanomas are photon-radioresistant but responsive to carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). The aim of this study is to assess, in a real-world cohort, the effectiveness and tolerability of radical CIRT in patients with inoperable gynecological mucosal melanoma.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!