Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 40 No. 3, 2001.
Conference paper
Metastatic Melanoma in Biopsy Material in the 1995-2000 Period
Božo Krušlin
Danko Müller
Ivana Nola
Majda Vučić
Irena Novosel
Antonija Jakovčević
Jasminka Brozić
Drago De Syo
Hrvoje Čupić
Mladen Belicza
Abstract
Although melanoma is less common than other types of malignant skin tumors, including basal and squamous cell cancers, it accounts for about 75% of all skin cancer deaths. Melanoma is much more likely to metastasize to other parts of the body, which is not the case with other types of skin tumors. Metastatic spread is very common, particularly in advanced tumors of higher Clark and Breslow stage. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence and distribution of metastatic melanomas among biopsy specimens collected during the 1995-2000 period, and their relationship with primary melanoma, especially regarding Clark and Breslow staging. Metastatic melanomas were found in 210 of 75,390 (0.3%) surgical biopsies. There were 24 patients with 57 metastatic melanoma biopsies related to primary melanoma diagnosed at our hospital during the period of observation. The remaining 153 metastatic melanomas diagnosed at other hospitals or before the period of observation were not included in the study. Metastatic melanomas were more common in male patients (13 male and 11 female), age range 16-91 (mean age 53.0) years. In men, age range was 16-75, and in women 23-91 years. Metastatic melanomas occurred 1 month to 2 years (mean 4.9 months) after the diagnosis. They affected patients with Clark III-V and Breslow III-V. Metastases were not observed in Clark I-II patients; however, two metastases were detected in patients with Breslow thickness II. Also, a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of metastatic and primary melanomas (p<0.01 both) was recorded during the period of observation.
Keywords
Melanoma, diagnosis; Melanoma, pathology
Hrčak ID:
14871
URI
Publication date:
3.9.2001.
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