Prognostic factors for lymph and distant metastases in patients with malignant melanoma - A 4-year analysis of clinical results

Abstract

PURPOSE: Our aim was to define some prognostic factors for lymph and distant metastases in cases of malignant melanoma (MM), treated in the Oncology Center at the University Hospital "Dr George Stranski" -Pleven in a 4-year period. METHODS: A research index card was used to process the oncologic files of 82 out of 102 patients with MM, treated and monitored in the Oncology center between 01.01.2008 and 31.12.2011. TNMstages, Breslow and Clark levels, location, characteristics of the skin lesion, size, diagnostic excision, lymph node dissection type, etc. were registered in the index card. RESULTS: The most common location of the skin lesion was on the back-23cases (28.5%). The prevalent type was the nodular form-28 cases (28.05%). In 37cases (45.1%) Breslow thickness was 1 to 3mm, Clark levels-3 or 4. Out of all the patients 43 (52.4%) were locally advanced T3 and T4 stage cases. In 9 cases (10.9%) distant metastases were found during the diagnosis of the disease. There are 13 cases of MM patients with lymph mеtastases. CONCLUSOINS: The nodular and achromatic type MM showed more often lymph node metastases (p=0.029). The Clark level was in close relation with lymph node metastases (p=0.07). The time of distant metastases turned out to be in a close relation with the size of the primary lesion (p=0.029).