Malignant Melanoma Prognostic Factors 5: Clinical Staging

Abstract

Regional lymph node enlargement, as determined by palpation, is a useful prognostic factor--even if these nodes are histologically free of metastases. This is true not only for malignant melanoma but also for mycosis fungoides and carcinoma of the vulva.

Malignant Melanoma of the Skin

“…Some of these deaths occur in connection with cases presenting with local or distant metastases, but by far the majority arc now to be found among cases with clinically localized disease. In such cases 5-year survival rates from 40 to 80% have been report ed [5,6], There is at present no means of identifying patients with occult metastatic disease at presentation. How ever, experience with breast carcinoma has shown that the status of the draining nodes will in many cases reflect the tumor load elsewhere in the body [7].…”