High-risk melanoma with nodal involvement in a young woman.
BACKGROUND
An 18-year-old female presented to her General Practitioner with a bleeding mole on her back. The mole had been present since childhood but had started to bleed in the past month. She was otherwise asymptomatic with no relevant previous medical history. Physical examination revealed a 1.5 cm 1.7 cm pigmented lesion on the left aspect of the patient's upper back. There was no palpable lymphadenopathy.


METHODS
Physical examination, excision biopsy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, CT scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis.


METHODS
Stage IIIB (T3bN2aM0) focally ulcerated, nodular malignant melanoma (Breslow depth 2.5 mm, Clark's level IV).


RESULTS
Wide re-excision, completion dissection of the left axillary lymph node, adjuvant high-dose interferon with maintenance interferon.
Khan
Omar
O
Cancer Research UK, Department of Medical Oncology, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK. omar.khan@cancer.org.uk
Middleton
Mark
M
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012307:Risk Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins