Current staging and prognostic factors in melanoma

Edmund K Bartlett; Giorgos C Karakousis

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2014.12.001

Current staging and prognostic factors in melanoma

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2015 Apr;24(2):215-27. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2014.12.001.

Authors

Edmund K Bartlett¹, Giorgos C Karakousis²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 4 Silverstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
² Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 4 Silverstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. Electronic address: giorgos.karakousis@uphs.upenn.edu.

PMID: 25769707
DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2014.12.001

Abstract

The current American Joint Commission for Cancer staging system for melanoma includes thickness, ulceration, and mitotic index as primary tumor factors for patients with stage I and II disease. Number and size of nodal metastases, presence of satellitosis and in-transit disease, and tumor ulceration status categorize patients with stage III disease. Presence and location of distant metastatic disease and increased lactate dehydrogenase level stratify prognosis in patients with stage IV disease. Factors predictive of sentinel lymph node positivity are also studied, particularly in patients with T1 melanomas, but are not always congruent with those predictive of survival.

Keywords: Melanoma; Prognosis; Prognostic factors; Sentinel lymph node; Staging.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Biomarkers, Tumor / blood*
Humans
Melanoma / blood
Melanoma / genetics
Melanoma / pathology*
Neoplasm Staging / methods*
Prognosis
Risk Factors
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
Skin Neoplasms / blood
Skin Neoplasms / genetics
Skin Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

Biomarkers, Tumor