A. Spatz et al., Analysis of histopathological factors associated with prolonged survival of 10 years or more for patients with thick melanomas (> 5mm), HISTOPATHOL, 33(5), 1998, pp. 406-413
Citations number
44
Categorie Soggetti
Research/Laboratory Medicine & Medical Tecnology","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Aims: Although tumour thickness is the best predictor of melanoma prognosis
in patients with localized cutaneous melanoma, prolonged survival occasion
ally occurs in patients with thick melanomas (> 5 mm). This study examined
histological features which were associated with long-term survival.
Methods and results: Forty-two patients with thick, vertical growth phase m
elanomas surviving 10 years or more after diagnosis were matched by clinica
l stage of disease, sex, age and anatomical site of the primary lesion with
42 patients with similar characteristics who died from their disease withi
n 3 years of diagnosis. Fourteen histological factors were assessed in both
groups, Tumours with spindle cell and Spitz-like cell populations and thos
e with low mitotic activity were significantly more frequently observed in
long-term survivors, There was also a significant excess of melanomas exhib
iting desmoplasia and those lacking vascular invasion in the long-term surv
ivors.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that it may be useful to modify the cur
rent cutaneous melanoma classification on the basis of unusual cytological
characteristics (as discussed at the recent 4th World Conference on Melanom
a).