THE VALUE OF NM23 EXPRESSION AS AN INDEPENDENT PROGNOSTIC INDICATOR IN PRIMARY THICK MELANOMA

Whilst tumour thickness is of great value in predicting prognosis for groups of patients in different categories, it is of less value for in dividual patients. It has been proposed that expression of the nm23 ge ne, a putative tumour suppressor gene, is associated with improved out come in a number of human neoplasms including malignant melanoma. We a ssessed nm23 expression in 22 patients who had primary melanomas > 3mm thick. Ten have survived to date and 12 died of melanoma. Using immun ohistochemical methods, we found no significant differences in gene ex pression between the two groups.