Advances and short comings in the early diagnosis of melanoma.
Summary of "Advances and short comings in the early diagnosis of melanoma."
Malignant melanoma kills more people each year than any other skin cancer, with approximately 8000 lives lost and a cost of over 3 billion dollars annually in the US alone. Tumor depth is the most important prognostic factor in melanoma. Thus, early detection has the potential to diagnose melanoma when lesions are thinner, and to improve survival in primary melanomas. In this review, we discuss the implications, barriers, and advantages of melanoma screening, and describe the currently employed methods of detection, newly available modalities, and current areas of research. We also discuss the efficacy, advantages and disadvantages, and clinical practicality of each, and suggest various means of combining different methodologies as well as tailoring various strategies to individual patient needs.
Affiliation
Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Melanoma research
ISSN: 1473-5636
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20856147
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0b013e32833faf7e
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Early Diagnosis
Methods to determine in patients the nature of a disease or disorder at its early stage of progression. Generally, early diagnosis improves PROGNOSIS and TREATMENT OUTCOME.
Cysteinyldopa
Found in large amounts in the plasma and urine of patients with malignant melanoma. It is therefore used in the diagnosis of melanoma and for the detection of postoperative metastases. Cysteinyldopa is believed to be formed by the rapid enzymatic hydrolysis of 5-S-glutathionedopa found in melanin-producing cells.
Melanoma, Amelanotic
An unpigmented malignant melanoma. It is an anaplastic melanoma consisting of cells derived from melanoblasts but not forming melanin. (Dorland, 27th ed; Stedman, 25th ed)
Melanoma, Experimental
Experimentally induced tumor that produces MELANIN in animals to provide a model for studying human MELANOMA.
Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle
A cellular subtype of malignant melanoma. It is a pigmented lesion composed of melanocytes occurring on sun-exposed skin, usually the face and neck. The melanocytes are commonly multinucleated with a "starburst" appearance. It is considered by many to be the in situ phase of lentigo maligna melanoma.
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