Title:Multidisciplinary Approach to Patient with Malignant Melanoma
VOLUME: 13 ISSUE: 6
Author(s):Giuseppina Della Vittoria Scarpati, Celeste Fusciello, Francesco Sabbatino, Soldano Ferrone, Francesco Caponigro, Francesco Perri, Chiara Carlomagno and Stefano Pepe
Affiliation:Department of Medicine, University of Salerno and Division of Oncology, “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona” Hospital, Salerno.
Keywords:Melanoma, immunotherapy, B-RAF inibithors, chemotherapy.
Abstract:The incidence of melanoma is rapidly increasing worldwide and the prognosis of patients with metastatic disease is still poor,
with a median survival of 8–9 months and a 3-year overall survival (OS) rate less than 15% [1,2].
A complete surgical excision is the main treatment for primary cutaneous melanoma [3], but controversies about the extension of
excision margins still remain [4].
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) provides important prognostic and staging data by the identification of regional node-negative
patients who would not benefit from a complete nodal dissection. However, there is no consensus in the definition of melanoma thickness
to enforce the execution of the SLNB [5].
To date, Interferon-α (IFN-α)is the only approved adjuvant treatment after surgical excision of high-risk melanoma, but its indication
remains still controversial [2,6].
