The rate of melanoma transection with various biopsy techniques and the influence of tumor transection on patient survival.

This is interesting. Survival does not change due to biopsy technique (but there does seem to be a trend). But I wonder how many melanoma diagnoses are missed due to sub-optimal biopsy technique?

Ian

 

 

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 Sep 8. [Epub ahead of print]

Mir M, Chan CS, Khan F, Krishnan B, Orengo I, Rosen T.

Source

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Depth of melanoma invasion is critical because it dictates patient treatment and prognosis. Recent reports indicate melanoma transection with initial biopsy does not impact patient survival; however, tumor transection can lead to misdiagnosis and inaccurate staging.

OBJECTIVE:

This study assessed the rate of melanoma transection with various biopsy techniques and the impact of tumor transection on patient survival.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective review of all melanoma cases at our institution between 2000 and 2008. Of the 490 melanoma cases identified, 479 met inclusion criteria for the study. The transection rates of biopsy techniques were determined. Cases of transected tumors were matched with nontransected cases in a retrospective case-control fashion to evaluate survival.

RESULTS:

The rate of melanoma transection was 1.5% for excisional biopsies, 4.1% for punch biopsies, and 9.0% for saucerization biopsies. The means of disease-free survival for the control and transected groups were 911 days and 832.7 days, respectively (P value .67). Overall survival for the control group was 1073.7 days versus 1012.4 days for the transected group (P value .72).

LIMITATIONS:

The study used a select population. The sample size of transected biopsies was limited, in turn limiting the power of the study. Residents performed the majority of biopsies.

CONCLUSION:

Punch and saucerization biopsies were more likely to transect tumors than excisional biopsies. The transection of melanoma did not affect overall disease-free survival or mortality in the population studied.

A couple of interesting abstracts

A couple of interesting abstracts. Obviously the first one may just be that melanomas from certain parts of the body may be discovered later and deeper but this is still very relevant

 

 

Melanoma Res. 2012 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print]

The prognostic impact of the anatomical sites in the ‘head and neck melanoma’: scalp versus face and neck.

de Giorgi V, Rossari S, Gori A, Grazzini M, Savarese I, Crocetti E, Cervadoro E, Massi D.

Source

aDepartment of Dermatology bDivision of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence cClinical and Descriptive Epidemiology Unit, ISPO, Florence, Italy.

Abstract

Cutaneous melanoma is a malignant neoplasia with several demographic and histopathological prognostic factors. Many studies stress that the head and neck region has a worse prognosis compared with other localizations, but the reasons for this worse prognosis are unclear. Therefore, the aim of our study is to analyse the poor prognosis of head and neck melanoma (HNM) with respect to the other anatomical sites, considering the face and neck (F&N) and the scalp separately. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 757 melanoma patients. In particular, we studied the prognostic impact of different melanoma skin localizations (head and neck, trunk, upper extremities and lower extremities). Afterwards, we divided HNM into two subgroups, F&N and scalp, to evaluate their impact in the HNM prognosis. Data showed a significantly lower 5-year overall survival probability for HNM (78.9 versus 93.1% for other body sites; P=0.05). Moreover, on analysing the two anatomical areas considered among HNM, we observed a 5-year overall survival of 81.8% for F&N and 66.7% for scalp. HNM has different and worse prognostic features with respect to other sites, but this trend is not only because of scalp melanoma but is also determined by F&N melanoma, which we believe to be underestimated until now.

 

Melanoma Res. 2012 Jun;22(3):252-6.

Features of small melanocytic lesions: does small mean benign? A clinical-dermoscopic study.

de Giorgi V, Savarese I, Rossari S, Gori A, Grazzini M, Crocetti E, Sara Longo A, Oranges T, Massi D.

Source

Department of Dermatology, Division of Pathological Anatomy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. vincenzo.degiorgi@unifi.it

Abstract

The use of dermoscopy is known to increase the sensitivity and specificity in the clinical diagnosis of cutaneous pigmented melanocytic lesions compared with naked-eye examinations. However, small pigmented melanocytic lesions with maximum clinical diameters of 6 mm remain the most significant diagnostic challenge to the clinician, particularly in the diagnosis of small melanoma, both in naked-eye and in dermatoscopic examinations. The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinical and dermatoscopic features of small pigmented melanocytic lesions, focusing on more frequently occurring features in small melanoma to identify them earlier. A total of 103 pigmented melanocytic lesions with diameters less than 6 mm were analyzed. On histopathological examination, 34 of these lesions were diagnosed as melanomas and the remaining lesions (n = 69) were diagnosed as benign, melanocytic lesions. Images of cases were independently and blindly administered to three dermatologist experts in dermoscopy, who were asked to examine the clinical and dermatoscopic images of melanocytic skin lesions separately and to fill out a printed questionnaire to rate the images according to the ABCD clinical criteria and according to typical dermoscopic pattern analyses. The results of the questionnaires were then analyzed and crossed in order to rate the clinical and dermoscopic features of small pigmented lesions. Our study proved that the clinical criteria for diagnosing melanoma are not as reliable in the diagnosis of pigmented lesions of less than 6 mm diameter. However, the use of dermoscopy, even if not nullifying, allows a better classification of small, melanocytic lesions through pattern analysis.