Malignant melanoma is the third most common cutaneous cancer after basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Although most malignant melanomas are diagnosed at an early stage, this cancer also has the inherent ability to spread aggressively. The three risk categories for metastasis put forward by the American Joint Committee on Cancer are skin, soft tissue, and remote nodes (M1a); visceral-pulmonary (M1b); and visceral-nonpulmonary (M1c). The most common sites of melanoma metastasis are skin and subcutaneous tissue, followed by lungs, liver, bones, and brain.
Treatment of metastatic melanoma depends on whether the disease is resectable or disseminated. For limited metastatic melanoma, resection or systemic therapy may be considered. For disseminated melanoma, systemic therapy, local therapy, clinical trial, or supportive care may be considered, depending on the location and extent of the disease.
Are you familiar with the most recent guidelines for stage II or higher malignant melanoma? Test your knowledge with this quick quiz.
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Cite this: Adil Daud. Fast Five Quiz: Metastatic Melanoma - Medscape - Feb 23, 2022.
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