Loco-regional renewal of malignant melanomas. I. Local recurrence satellites and in-transit nodes.
183 patients with malignant melanoma treated during the period 1972-1987 were studied for the incidence of loco-regional metastasis. All cases were followed up for 5 years following initial treatment. In the "high risk" groups of patients--the setting being based on well-known prognosticators such as tumour invasion, thickness, clinicopathological type and anatomic site--there were significantly more recurrences (p < 0.01) than in the patients with thin lesions. About 91 per cent of the recurrences--except pure model ones to be discussed in an other paper--were discovered within 30 months following tumour excision. Wide excision in itself had no effect upon frequency and incidence of loco-regional renewal. While local recidivae were sufficiently controlled by simple re-excision, most of the "in-transit" metastases need an additional regional lymph node dissection because of the increased rate of micrometastases in the lymph nodes. Survival and treatment modalities are also discussed.
1st Department of Surgery, University Medical School of Pécs, Hungary.
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D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate