title: Surgical approaches to malignant melanoma. Practical guidelines.
abstract: Practical guidelines for the surgical approach to malignant melanoma are discussed in detail. Topics include diagnosis and proper biopsy technique; the appropriate preoperative metastatic workup; width of excision margins; treatment of the regional lymph nodes including cutaneous lymphoscintigraphy, intraoperative lymphatic mapping, and sentinel lymphadenectomy; postoperative follow-up schedules; management of local recurrence including surgical resection, isolated limb perfusion, intralesional therapy, adjuvant immunotherapy; management of special clinical situations including subungal melanoma, plantar melanoma, melanoma on the face, melanoma in pregnancy, and the treatment of lesions of uncertain diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, 530 First Avenue, Suite 7G, New York, NY 10016, USA. richard.shapiro@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003880:Dermatology / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome