METASTASIZING MELANOMAS WITH LOW BRESLOW- THICKNESS

We treated 8123 patients with invasive malignant melanoma were treated up to 1995. 2200 had invasive melanomas with less than 0.75 mm Breslo w thickness; of these, 45 developed metastases. Three had second prima ry tumors with greater thickness. One case showed metastasis from anot her tumor. In two cases the metastases were not ascertained histologic ally. The remaining 39 cases showed some peculiarities: a greater prop ortion of late and of internal (as contrasted to regional) metastases. Most of these primary tumors had a Breslow thickness of more than 0.5 mm and were Clark level III or even IV. Male patients and primary tum or sites in the area of head and neck were significantly over-represen ted.