Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanomas Research Articles

Tumoral inflammatory infiltrate does not predict metastases in thin primary cutaneous melanomas

BackgroundIn cutaneous melanomas in general, tumor inflammatory infiltrate (TII) can protect against distant metastases, but there is no consensus when only thin primary cutaneous melanomas (TPCM) are considered. ObjectiveTo investigate the presence of TII in TPCM and the relationship between TII and the occurrence of metastases. MethodsCase-control study including 50 patients with TPCM, 22 metastatic (MC group) and 28 non-metastatic (NMC group). The presence of TII was evaluated and, if present, qualified as mild, moderate or marked. ResultsThe mean age was 50.7 years in the MC and 56.2 years in the NMC group (p = 0.234), and the male sex predominated in the MC group (63.6%). The average Breslow thickness was higher in the MC when compared to that observed in the NMC (respectively 0.8 vs. 0.6 mm, p = 0.012). The presence of ulceration occurred in 22.7% of the MC and 17.9% of the NMC (p = 0.732). TII was present in all 50 TPCM, being marked or moderate in 67.9% of the NMC and 54.5% in the MC group (p = 0.503). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of moderate and marked TII had an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.57 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.18‒1.8) and adjusted OR of 0.68 (95% CI 0.13‒3.99). Study limitationsSmall sample size. ConclusionsTII was present in all TPCM (with and without metastases), and it was not possible to demonstrate a protective effect of TII against the appearance of metastases.

Development and Validation of Nomograms to Predict Local, Regional, and Distant Recurrence in Patients With Thin (T1) Melanomas.

Although the prognosis of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas (T1, ≤ 1.0 mm) is generally excellent, some develop recurrence. We sought to develop and validate a model predicting recurrences in patients with thin melanomas. A Dutch population-based cohort (n = 25,930, development set) and a cohort from an Australian melanoma treatment center (n = 2,968, validation set) were analyzed (median follow-up 6.7 and 12.0 years, respectively). Multivariable Cox models were generated for local, regional, and distant recurrence-free survival (RFS). Discrimination was assessed using Harrell's C-statistic for each outcome. Each nomogram performance was evaluated using calibration plots defining low-risk and high-risk groups as the lowest and top 5% of the nomogram risk score, respectively. The nomograms' C-statistics were compared with those of a model including the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging parameters (T-stage and sentinel node status). Local, regional, and distant recurrences were found in 209 (0.8%), 503 (1.9%), and 203 (0.8%) Dutch patients, respectively, and 23 (0.8%), 61 (2.1%), and 75 (2.5%) Australian patients, respectively. C-statistics of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.82) for local RFS, 0.77 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.78) for regional RFS, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.83) for distant RFS were obtained for the development model. External validation showed C-statistics of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.90), 0.76 (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.82), and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.80), respectively. Calibration plots showed a good match between predicted and observed rates. Using the nomogram, the C-statistic was increased by 9%-12% for the development cohort and by 11%-15% for the validation cohort, compared with a model including only T-stage and sentinel node status. Most patients with thin melanomas have an excellent prognosis, but some develop recurrence. The presented nomograms can accurately identify a subgroup at high risk. An online calculator is available at www.melanomarisk.org.au.

Late Metastases from a Thin Primary Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the third most common type of skin cancer, and its incidence has been rising. Its mortality rate is considerable, due to an aggressive phenotype and great ability of dissemination, mainly in the first years of follow- -up. Late recurrences, those presenting more than 10 years after diagnosis, are rare. The main prognostic factor of cutaneous malignant melanoma is tumor thickness, which also guides management. Thin tumors often have a good prognosis. We report a case of a 66-year-old woman with a history of excision of a thin primary cutaneous malignant melanoma of the dorsum, presenting 16 years later with an unexpected, rapidly progressing and lethal recurrence.

Association between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and sentinel lymph node positivity in thin melanoma

BackgroundSentinel lymph node biopsy in thin invasive primary cutaneous melanoma (up to 1mm thick) is a controversial subject. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes could be a factor to be considered in the decision to perform this procedure. ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and lymph node metastases caused by thin primary cutaneous melanoma. Methods:Cross-sectional study with 137 records of thin invasive primary cutaneous melanoma submitted to sentinel lymph node biopsy from 2003 to 2015. The clinical variables considered were age, sex and topography of the lesion. The histopathological variables assessed were: tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, melanoma subtype, Breslow thickness, Clark levels, number of mitoses per mm², ulceration, regression and satellitosis. Univariate analyzes and logistic regression tests were performed as well the odds ratio and statistical relevance was considered when p <0.05. Results:Among the 137 cases of thin primary cutaneous melanoma submitted to sentinel lymph node biopsy, 10 (7.3%) had metastatic involvement. Ulceration on histopathology was positively associated with the presence of metastatic lymph node, with odds ratio =12.8 (2.77-59.4 95% CI, p=0.001). The presence of moderate/marked tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was shown to be a protective factor for the presence of metastatic lymph node, with OR=0.20 (0.05-0.72 95% CI, p=0.014). The other variables - clinical and histopathological - were not associated with the outcome. Study limitations:The relatively small number of positive sentinel lymph node biopsy may explain such an expressive association of ulceration with metastatization. Conclusions:In patients with thin invasive primary cutaneous melanoma, few or absent tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, as well as ulceration, represent independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis.

1298P - Discovery of KIRREL as a biomarker for prognostic stratification of patients with thin melanoma

Background: There is a great unmet clinical need to identify patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas (T1, Breslow thickness ≤ 1 mm) who have a high risk for tumor recurrence and death from melanoma. Kin of IRRE-like protein 1 (KIRREL/NEPH1) is expressed in podocytes and involved in glomerular filtration, but its expression in human cancer has not yet been reported. Screening in the Human Protein Atlas portal revealed a particularly high expression of KIRREL in melanoma, both at the mRNA and protein levels. In this study, we followed up on these findings and examined the prognostic value of KIRREL in a population-based cohort of melanoma. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of KIRREL was performed on tissue microarrays with a subset of primary tumors and paired lymph node metastases from an original cohort of 268 incident cases of melanoma in the Malmo Diet and Cancer study. Kaplan Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modelling were used to assess the relationship between KIRREL expression and time to recurrence (TTR) and melanoma-specific survival (MSS). The prognostic value of KIRREL mRNA expression was examined in 102 melanoma cases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results: Membranous/cytoplasmic expression of KIRREL was detected in 158/185 (85.4%) primary tumours and 18/19 (94.7%) metastases, in various fractions and intensities. High expression of KIRREL was significantly associated with several unfavourable clinicopathological factors. KIRREL expression was not prognostic in tumours >1 mm thickness, but in T1 tumours (n = 106, median thickness 0.58, range 0.08-1.00), high expression of KIRREL was significantly associated with a reduced TTR, independent of and outperforming absolute thickness in mm and ulceration (HR = 4.54, 95% CI 1.01-20.45), and borderline significantly associated with MSS. High mRNA levels of KIRREL were associated with a significantly reduced overall survival in the TCGA (p = 0.028). Conclusions: KIRREL is not only a novel potential diagnostic marker for melanoma, but may also be a useful prognostic biomarker for improved stratification of patients with thin melanoma. These findings may be of high clinical relevance and therefore merit further validation. (Less)

A prognostic gene-signature based identification of high-risk thin melanomas.

e21575Background: While prognosis of thin primary cutaneous melanoma (TCM) is good, 25% of melanoma-specific mortality occurs with primary tumors ≤ 1 mm in thickness. A prognostic gene expression p...

Mitotic rate in primary melanoma: interobserver and intraobserver reliability, analyzed using H&E sections and immunohistochemistry.

In 2009, the AJCC issued a revised melanoma staging system. In addition to tumor thickness and ulceration, the mitotic rate was introduced as the third major prognostic parameter for the classification of primary cutaneous melanoma. Given that, according to the 2009 AJCC classification, the detection of one or more dermal tumor mitoses leads to an upstaging - from stage Ia to Ib - of melanomas with a tumor thickness of ≤1.0mm, we set out to investigate the reproducibility of this new parameter. In order to assess interobserver reliability, 17 dermatopathologists und pathologists - all well versed in the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma - analyzed the mitotic rate in 15 thin primary cutaneous melanomas (mean tumor thickness 0.91mm) using identical slides. Mitotic rates were determined on H&E and phosphohistone H3 (Ser10)-stained samples. Without knowledge of their previous assessment, five of the aforementioned examiners reevaluated the samples after more than one year in order to ascertain intraobserver reliability. Interobserver reliability of the mitotic rate in thin primary melanomas is disappointing and independent of whether H&E or immunohistochemically stained samples are used (kappa value: 0.088 [H&E], 0.154 [IH], respectively). Kappa values improved to 0.345 (H&E) and 0.403 (IH) when using a cutoff of 0/1 vs. 2+ mitoses. Similarly unsatisfactory, kappa values for intraobserver reliability ranged from 0.18 and 0.348, depending on the individual examiner. Given the unsatisfactory reproducibility and large variations in assessing the mitotic rate, it remains a matter of debate whether this diagnostic parameter should play a role in therapeutic decisions.

The Challenge of Defining Guidelines for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanomas

Departments of Surgical Oncology and Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Melanoma Institute Australia and the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Clinical and Pathologic Factors Associated with Distant Metastasis and Survival in Patients with Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanoma

Approximately 3-5% of patients with thin (≤ 1 mm) cutaneous melanomas develop distant metastases. We sought to identify clinical and pathologic factors associated with distant metastasis and survival in a large number of patients with thin melanoma treated at a single institution. We identified patients with a single invasive melanoma ≤ 1 mm in thickness diagnosed between January 1983 and December 2003 who developed distant metastasis (cases), and matched patients with no recorded recurrence during follow-up (control subjects). Cases and control subjects were matched for age, sex, and year of primary melanoma diagnosis. Associations of clinical and pathologic parameters with distant metastasis-free survival and melanoma-specific survival were analyzed. A total of 178 cases and 178 control subjects were identified. Factors associated with development of distant metastasis were: increasing Breslow thickness (P < 0.001), increasing Clark level of invasion (P < 0.001), increasing mitotic rate (P = 0.001), ulceration (P = 0.025), and American Joint Committee on Cancer T subcategory (P < 0.001). Multivariable models including Breslow thickness (but not Clark level) showed that factors independently associated with poorer distant metastasis-free survival were increasing age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.02]; increasing Breslow thickness (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.73-5.94, and HR 3.77, 95% CI 2.11-6.74 for 0.51-0.75 mm and 0.76-1.00 mm, respectively, compared with 0.01-0.50 mm); ulceration (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.14-3.06) and mitotic rate (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.21). Similar associations with melanoma-specific survival were found. Clinical and pathologic predictors of distant metastasis and survival identified in this large study of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas will enable more accurate stratification of risk of distant metastasis and poor survival in such patients, and will assist in formulating clinical management and follow-up regimens based on the level of risk.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients With Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanoma

To determine the rate and clinicopathologic factors predictive of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity, regional lymph node recurrence, and survival in a large series of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent SLN biopsy (SLNB). Patients with thin (≤1 mm) melanomas who underwent SLNB between 1992 and 2009 at Melanoma Institute Australia were identified from the Melanoma Institute Australia database. The association of clinicopathologic features with SLN status, lymph node recurrence, and survival was analyzed. In 432 patients [226 men, 206 women; median age 49.5 years (range: 14.4-85.0 years)], SLNB was positive for metastatic melanoma in 29 (6.7%) patients. No SLN positivity was detected in 37 patients with primary tumor thickness 0.50 mm or less. Breslow thickness (P = 0.012) and presence of lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.018) were the only factors significantly associated with SLN positivity. Regional lymph node recurrence was significantly more common in tumors located in the head/neck region (4/33, 12%) than in extremities (3/245, 1.2%) and trunk (2/154, 1.3%) (P < 0.001). Primary tumor mitotic rate was a significant predictor of melanoma-specific survival (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.09-1.35, P < 0.001). There is a low but significant rate of SLN positivity in patients with primary melanomas 0.51 to 1.0 mm in thickness. Given its prognostic importance, SLNB should be considered in such patients, particularly if there is lymphatic permeation by melanoma at the primary tumor site. More frequent regional node field recurrences in patients with head/neck primary tumors may be a consequence of complex lymphatic drainage patterns in this region.

Integrative Genome Comparison of Primary and Metastatic Melanomas

A cardinal feature of malignant melanoma is its metastatic propensity. An incomplete view of the genetic events driving metastatic progression has been a major barrier to rational development of effective therapeutics and prognostic diagnostics for melanoma patients. In this study, we conducted global genomic characterization of primary and metastatic melanomas to examine the genomic landscape associated with metastatic progression. In addition to uncovering three genomic subclasses of metastastic melanomas, we delineated 39 focal and recurrent regions of amplification and deletions, many of which encompassed resident genes that have not been implicated in cancer or metastasis. To identify progression-associated metastasis gene candidates, we applied a statistical approach, Integrative Genome Comparison (IGC), to define 32 genomic regions of interest that were significantly altered in metastatic relative to primary melanomas, encompassing 30 resident genes with statistically significant expression deregulation. Functional assays on a subset of these candidates, including MET, ASPM, AKAP9, IMP3, PRKCA, RPA3, and SCAP2, validated their pro-invasion activities in human melanoma cells. Validity of the IGC approach was further reinforced by tissue microarray analysis of Survivin showing significant increased protein expression in thick versus thin primary cutaneous melanomas, and a progression correlation with lymph node metastases. Together, these functional validation results and correlative analysis of human tissues support the thesis that integrated genomic and pathological analyses of staged melanomas provide a productive entry point for discovery of melanoma metastases genes.

Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanoma in Childhood and Adolescence: Report of 12 Cases

Approximately, 1-4% of all new melanoma cases occur in patients younger than 20 years. The clinical presentation of melanoma in the young is often challenging. We report the experience of the Melanoma Unit of University Hospital Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy. Study subjects were drawn from 1470 patients with histologically confirmed melanoma. From this group, melanoma developed in 12 patients younger than 19 years. For each melanoma diagnosed, histologic characteristics, treatment, and outcomes were evaluated. Of the 12 patients described in this study, four were men and eight were women. The average age was 15.6 years ranging from 11 to 18 years. Regarding invasive melanomas, Breslow thickness ranged from 0.15 to 0.66 mm with a mean thickness of 0.36 mm. Primary treatment of 12 patients included wide local excision of their primary lesions. In many cases reported in literature lesions are amelanotic, nodular, and resemble pyogenic granuloma. From our case studies it was found that the clinical characteristics detected in melanomas diagnosed in childhood and adolescence have been the same as those described in adults and that the ABCDE clinical criteria may be helpful basics of melanoma.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with thin melanomas

The aim of the present study is to report our experience with lymphatic mapping (LM) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in a selected group of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas. Fifty patients (22 females and 28 males; mean age, 57.8 years; range, 30-77 years) with a mean tumor thickness of 0.63 mm (range, 0.24-1.00 mm) underwent LM/SLNB. Twenty-eight (56%) of them had Clark level II, 20 (40%) had Clark level III, and two (4%) had Clark level IV. Tumor ulceration was present in two patients (4%) and histological regression in 35 patients (70%). Sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases occurred in two of 50 patients (4%). The first case was a 0.88-mm thick, Clark level III, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the trunk, without any regression. The second case was a 0.95-mm thick, Clark level IV, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the neck, with regression. Both patients were disease-free 76 and 50 months after the SLNB procedure and followed complete lymph node dissection, respectively. The patients with negative SLN were disease-free after a median follow up of 44 months (mean, 43.2; range, 15-84 months). Published data and our experience suggest that LM/SLNB is not routinely indicated for melanomas less than 0.75 mm. Our results confirmed the accuracy of the new American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer criteria, in which SLNB is required for thin melanomas less than 1.0 mm when they have ulceration or Clark level IV and V invasion.

Expression of p16, CD95, CD95L and Helix pomatia agglutinin in relapsing and nonrelapsing very thin melanoma

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing worldwide and patients are being diagnosed earlier with thinner primary lesions. Most patients with very thin melanoma (Breslow thickness < 0.76 mm) are cured by surgery but 2-18% relapse locally or with distant metastases. The objective of this study was to establish potential new prognostic markers in very thin melanoma. We identified a group of subjects with relapsing very thin primary cutaneous melanoma and a matched control group who had not relapsed. We investigated the expression of p16, Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), CD95 and CD95 ligand (CD95L) by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue sections from the subject group, their subsequent metastases and the control group. Reduced p16 expression was significantly associated with relapse in very thin melanoma (P = 0.0129). Loss of p16 expression was also found in 76% of metastases. There was no significant association between HPA, CD95 or CD95L expression and subsequent relapse. This work is the first to show a significant loss of p16 in relapsing very thin melanoma.

Immunotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary approach to melanoma treatment

We have made tremendous advances in the earlier diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. Indeed, the early recognition and surgical management of thin primary cutaneous melanoma of less than 1.00 mm in Breslow's thickness has resulted in a >97% cure rate. For stage III and IV disease, our current treatment options are poor, with response rates well below 20% and only rare long-term responders noted. This is most clearly highlighted in a recent review by Rosenberg et al. who examined the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with stage IV melanoma over a nine-year period. Overall, 96% of all patients had metastatic melanoma, utilizing a wide array of vaccine strategies including synthetic peptides, naked DNA, dendritic cells (DC) and recombinant viruses in patients with various advanced malignancies. They found that the overall objective response rate, utilizing conventional oncologic criteria for clinical tumor response, was only 2.6%. By combining the results of the Surgery Branch with the latter trials above, a total of 1,306 vaccine treatments have been given for an overall objective response rate of 3.3%. Such dismal results compel us to take a critical look at our current approach to tumor immunology and immunotherapy, with the intention of improving our current understanding of the complex interactions that occur within the tumor microenvironment. This in turn will provide us with new insight and direction as we design the next generation of vaccines for patients with advanced cancer and in particular melanoma.

Biologic and Prognostic Significance of Dermal Ki67 Expression, Mitoses, and Tumorigenicity in Thin Invasive Cutaneous Melanoma

Tumor cell proliferation is a central feature of melanoma progression. In this study, we characterized three biomarkers of proliferation (Ki67 expression, dermal mitotic rate [MR], and tumorigenicity) in thin (< or = 1.00 mm) primary cutaneous melanomas and examined their association with prognosis. We used immunohistochemistry to determine Ki67 expression using the monoclonal antibody MIB-1 in lesions from a prospective cohort that included 396 patients with thin invasive primary melanomas seen between 1972 and 1991. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to define independent prognostic factors, and recursive partitioning was used to develop a prognostic tree identifying risk groups. Dermal Ki67 expression was lower than epidermal Ki67 expression in radial growth phase (RGP) melanomas (n = 171), and dermal Ki67 expression and MR were higher in tumorigenic vertical growth phase (VGP) melanomas (n = 193) compared with RGP and nontumorigenic VGP melanomas (n = 42). Dermal Ki67 expression, MR greater than 0, growth phase, thickness, ulceration, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and sex were associated with metastasis at 10 years, however, only dermal Ki67 expression, MR greater than 0, and sex were independent prognostic factors. Two high-risk groups were identified: men and women with dermal MR greater than 0 and dermal Ki67 expression > or = 20% in tumor cells and men with MR greater than 0 and Ki67 expression less than 20%, with 10-year metastasis rates of 39% and 20%, respectively. Proliferation slows as melanoma cells enter the dermis and then increases with the onset of tumorigenic VGP. Ki67 expression and dermal MR provide independent prognostic information that can potentially be used in risk-based management of patients.

Thin primary cutaneous malignant melanoma: a prognostic tree for 10-year metastasis is more accurate than American Joint Committee on Cancer staging.

The majority of invasive primary melanomas are thin (< or = 1.00 mm). Since the current staging system imperfectly predicts outcome in patients with such lesions, we sought to develop a more effective classification scheme to better identify both patients at high risk of metastasis who are candidates for further staging and therapy and those with little risk. This prospective cohort study included 884 patients who had thin invasive melanomas. A tree-structured analysis of 10-year metastasis was used to develop a new classification scheme. The overall 10-year metastasis rate was 6.5% (95% CI, 4.8% to 8.1%). The prognostic tree defined four risk groups: high-risk: men with vertical growth phase (VGP) lesions that had mitotic rates (MRs) greater than 0, and for whom the 10-year metastasis rate was 31% (22% to 42%; n = 90); moderate-risk: women with VGP lesions that had MRs greater than 0 and for whom the rate was 13% (9% to 18%; n = 136); low-risk: patients with VGP lesions that had MR of 0 for whom the rate was 4% (2% to 7%; n = 247); and minimal-risk: patients with invasive lesions without VGP for whom the rate was 0.5% (0% to 1.2%; n = 411). Survival curves differed significantly among the four groups (P <.001). Growth phase, mitotic rate, and sex are important prognostic factors for patients with thin melanomas, and they identify subgroups at substantial risk for metastasis. After validation in other populations, the proposed prognostic tree will be useful in the design of clinical trials and clinical management.

Prognosis for patients with thin cutaneous melanoma: long-term survival data from New South Wales Central Cancer Registry and the Sydney Melanoma Unit.

Estimates of long-term survival for patients with thin (< or = 1 mm) primary cutaneous melanomas vary widely. Two separate methods were used to study the survival of patients with melanoma from New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and from the Sydney Melanoma Unit (SMU). The NSW Central Cancer Registry (NSWCCR) provided data on all patients who were diagnosed with cutaneous melanomas that measured < or = 1 mm thick between 1983 and 1998, inclusive. Patients with metastases at the time of diagnosis were not included, leaving 18,088 patients for analysis. The SMU data base was analyzed to extract data for all patients with thin melanomas who met the same criteria from 1979 to 1998, inclusive. All patients who had their primary tumors treated definitively elsewhere were excluded, leaving 2746 patients for analysis. Ten-year Kaplan-Meier survival rates were calculated, and significant differences were determined using log-rank analysis. Prognostic factors were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards analysis. The NSWCCR analysis revealed a 10-year survival rate of 96.4%. The 10-year survival rate for patients at SMU was 92.7%. Among the patients at SMU who died, the median time to recurrence was 49.8 months, and the median time to death was 65.9 months. The 10-year survival for patients at SMU who had lesions that measured < or = 0.75 mm was 96.9% compared with 84.3% for patients who had lesions that measured 0.76-1.0 mm. For patients who had ulcerated melanomas measuring < or = 1 mm thick, the 10-year survival rate was 83%, compared with 92.3% for patients who had nonulcerated melanomas. The results of the current study confirmed the excellent survival rate for patients with thin melanomas. Higher-risk subsets of patients who may warrant consideration for aggressive investigation and treatment are identifiable.

Thin primary cutaneous melanomas: associated detection patterns, lesion characteristics, and patient characteristics.

Public awareness and education may lead to the detection of thinner melanomas, which may result in a decrease in morbidity and mortality rates. Which detection patterns, lesion, and patient characteristics are associated with early detection? Using the University of Michigan prospective melanoma database, the detection patterns, lesion characteristics, and patient characteristics of 1515 consecutive patients with in situ or invasive cutaneous melanomas were reviewed. Tumor thickness (measured in millimeters) was evaluated in relationship to detection patterns (patient, physician, spouse), lesion characteristics (change in color, size, shape/elevation, ulceration, bleeding, tenderness, itching), and patient characteristics (gender, skin type, number of atypical and clinically benign nevi, history of sunburn, personal and family history of melanoma). Patient characteristics associated with early detection included female gender, at least one atypical nevus, greater than 20 clinically benign nevi, and/or a personal history of melanoma. Skin types I, II, and III, a history of sunburn, and/or a family history of melanoma were also associated with thinner lesions, but these associations were not statistically significant. Lesion characteristics associated with earlier detection included a change in color, size, shape/elevation, and/or itching. Physician-detected melanomas were significantly thinner than patient or spouse-detected lesions. Educational campaigns should include increasing melanoma awareness in males and educating the public on the early signs and symptoms. Education should be directed at both high and low-risk groups. Physicians should consider performing total skin examinations routinely on patients. Although they detect a relatively small percentage of all melanomas, physicians detect significantly thinner lesions.

Acute cholecystitis from metastatic melanoma to the gall-bladder in a patient with a low-risk melanoma

Metastatic melanoma to the gall-bladder producing symptoms which mimic cholecystitis is an uncommon and unusual clinical presentation of metastatic disease. We present a case of a 40-year-old women who initially had a thin primary cutaneous melanoma, and later presented with acute abdominal pain which was diagnosed as acute cholecystitis. Pathological review of the gall-bladder revealed metastatic melanoma.