title: [Relation of maximum diameters of plantar malignant melanoma to various prognostic factors and prognosis of patients].
abstract: The following factors were investigated in 43 cases of plantar malignant melanoma: maximum diameters of primary lesions, Clark's subtypes, clinical stages, UICC's stages, Clark's levels of invasion, Breslow's tumor thickness, and prognosis of patients. Relation of maximum diameter of primary lesions to various prognostic factors and prognosis of the patients was analysed. It was revealed that there were no statistically significant relationships between maximum diameters and other various factors. In our series, however, all patients with plantar malignant melanoma less than 14 mm in diameter are alive without metastasis. Judging from our previous and present studies, the following two points are the most important for improving the prognosis of patients with plantar malignant melanoma: 1) Catching all pigmented lesions on the sole that are more than 7 mm in diameter and examining them histologically, if they have no possibility of being congenital melanocytic nevus or black heel. 2) Treating plantar malignant melanomas adequately before they become 14 mm in maximum diameter.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saida
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikegawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishihara
mesh_terms: D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*