The European approach to in-transit melanoma lesions.
The biological behavior of melanoma is unpredictable. Three to five per cent of melanoma patients will develop in-transit lesions and the median time to recurrence ranges between 13-16 months. At the time of recurrence the risk of occult nodal metastasis, with clinically negative regional lymph nodes, is as high as 50%. The risk of in-transit lesions depends on the tumor biology and not on the surgical approach to the regional lymph nodes. The high incidence of in-transit lesions at the lower limb may be caused by the gravity and delayed lymphatic drainage. The treatment of limited disease is local excision, laser ablation, cryosurgery, while multiple in-transit lesions or bulky disease located in a limb can be successfully treated with regional chemotherapy, a therapeutic isolated limb perfusion or infusion with melphalan or a combination of melphalan and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha. If local regional treatment or systemic dacarbazine based systemic treatment fails, novel systemic treatment strategies with vaccines, antibodies and gene therapy are currently investigated.
Hoekstra
H J
HJ
Division of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. h.j.hoekstra@chir.umcg.nl
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008558:Melphalan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008558:Melphalan