FAMILIAL CUTANEOUS MELANOMA

Family history is an important risk factor for cutaneous malignant mel anoma. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with cuta neous familial melanoma. A chart review was conducted, including all p atients who presented to Massachusetts General Hospital Pigmented Lesi on Clinic over an 8-year period. A total of 102 patients from 49 famil ies were confirmed with shaving cutaneous melanoma. Eighty-two per cen t had a personal and/or family history of dysplastic naevi. Within fam ilies, subsequent affected patients had thinner primary lesions with s ubstantially lower median thickness than those diagnosed first. Sevent een per cent had multiple primary melanomas, with the median thickness of subsequent primaries being much lower than that of the first prima ry lesions. The mean thickness of primary lesions in patients with one primary lesion was marginally significantly greater than that in pati ents with multiple primaries. Verification of family history is essent ial given the implications of a positive family history. Screening fam ily members of all patients with cutaneous melanoma and surveillance e xaminations for all patients with cutaneous melanoma is recommended.