title: HMB45 negative spindle cell malignant melanoma.
abstract: Desmoplastic malignant melanoma (DMM) and spindle cell malignant melanoma (SCMM) form a continuum without a discrete separation. One feature characteristic of DMM is a negative reaction for HMB45, a marker for premelanosomes. Fifty-six cases of SCMM were stained with HMB45. The clinical features, histologic features, and survival data for HMB45(+) and HMB45(-) SCMM were compared. Thirty cases were HMB45(-), and 26 were HMB45(+). In the HMB45(-) cases, there was a 1.4:1 ratio of males to females, and in the HMB45(+) cases the ratio was 1:1.5. Only 12.9% of the HMB45(-) cases occurred on the trunk compared with 40% of the HMB45(+) cases. The average ages for the HMB45(-) and the HMB45(+) cases were 65.6 and 61 years, respectively. Follow-up was obtained on 22 cases: 11 HMB45(-) and 11 HMB45(+). Of the 11 HMB45(-) cases, four had a 5-year disease-free survival. Of the 11 HMB45(+) cases, only one had a 5-year disease free survival. HMB45(-) SCMM appear to have a less aggressive biologic potential than HMB45(+) SCMM.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Corporation of America, Herndon, Virginia 22071, USA.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maceira
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lupton
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins