[Long-term survival of a patient with melanoma with late recurrence of pulmonary metastasis treated by repeat surgery].
We report the case of a young woman initially treated with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and BCG therapy for stage II malignant melanoma involving the limbs. Considering that the risk of metastasis is usually maximal between 2 and 5 years after initial treatment, metastatic dissemination of this melanoma was rather unusual. Metastases were observed locally, regionally, and in the lungs 8, 10 and 12 years respectively after the primary diagnosis. Repeat surgery was performed to resect pulmonary nodules. Such surgery is possible in less than 10% of the cases of metastatic melanoma. Our patient has survived without relapse for 21 years after the initial diagnosis and 8 years after the last tumor excision. Recurrent pulmonary metastasis without extrapulmonary dissemination would suggest the tumor cell population was composed of a particular metastatic phenotype.
Ferri
R M
RM
Département des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille.
Thomas
P
P
Tramier
H
H
Guidicelli
R
R
Kleisbauer
J P
JP
D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008545:Melanoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors