Multidisciplinary approach to patient with malignant melanoma

The incidence of melanoma is rapidly increasing worldwide and the prognosis of patients with metastatic disease is still poor, with a median survival of 8-9 months and a 3-year overall survival (OS) rate less than 15% [1,2]. A complete surgical excision is the main treatment for primary cutaneous melanoma [3], but controversies about the extension of excision margins still remain [4]. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) provides important prognostic and staging data by the identification of regional node-negative patients who would not benefit from a complete nodal dissection. However, there is no consensus in the definition of melanoma thickness to enforce the execution of the SLNB [5]. To date, Interferon-α (IFN-α)is the only approved adjuvant treatment after surgical excision of high-risk melanoma, but its indication remains still controversial [2,6]. © 2013 Bentham Science Publishers