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Query: UMLS:C0027960 (mole)
 21,279 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is constantly rising. Ocular involvement is rare and the choroid is the most accessible structure to metastatic emboli. The case described is noteworthy on account of several particular features: 1) the missed diagnosis of the primary malignancy. This might be because either cutaneous melanoma or cutaneous nevi show several common features; 2) the rarity of the retinal metastatic site. Unlike the choroid, the retina is an unusual metastatic site but, regardless of organ blood flow, the metastatic efficiency may be related to interactions between tumor cells and host tissue; 3) the treatment of the retinal metastasis, excised conservatively. As far as we know, this is the first report of a retinal metastasis being treated by local resection.
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PMID:Local excision of retinal metastasis from cutaneous melanoma. 884 81

Melanoma in children is rare. Nevertheless, it is imperative that clinicians be aware that melanoma does occur in childhood. Yet there is very little information available on the clinico-pathologic variations, and the prognostic parameters of melanoma in children. This report presents the results of a multicenter study of 102 lesions originally diagnosed as cutaneous melanoma, conducted among 5 Western European countries and collected during the period 1961-1994. Criteria for inclusion in the study included: (1) diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma; (2) age up to 16 years at diagnosis; and (3) availability of representative microscopic slides. On the basis of the histologic review only, 60 lesions were confirmed as melanoma, and 42 lesions initially diagnosed as melanoma were reclassified as nevi; 31 of the latter contained a predominance of spindle cells. The only significant parameter associated with the development of metatases or fatal outcome was thickness of more than 2.00 mm. The 5-year survival rate observed in this study was 84%. Based on these findings we conclude that considerable over-diagnosis of melanomas in children occurs. In order, therefore, to give consistent epidemiological data on melanomas in children and to improve proper recognition of their diagnostic features, both by clinicians and by pathologists, we propose to set up a central registry of melanomas in children in Europe, under the auspices of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer.
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PMID:Melanoma in childhood: an EORTC-MCG multicenter study on the clinico-pathological aspects. 890 73

Expression of the 17kD product of the human nm23-H1 gene has been shown to be reduced in a number of human malignancies including those from the breast, colon, kidney and lung. Somatic allelic deletion of nm23-H1 gene is also associated with a high incidence of distant metastasis and reduced patient survival in colorectal and infiltrating breast ductal carcinomas. We compared the immunohistochemical reactivity of the nm23-H1 gene product in the different histological subtypes of human cutaneous melanoma to that of Spitz nevi. All nine cases of Spitz nevi and five cases of in situ melanoma showed diffuse and intense nm23-H1 protein immunoreactivity. The majority of superficial spreading melanomas (18 of 27 cases) had moderate to strong nm23-H1 protein immunostaining. In contrast, the majority of nodular melanomas (7 of 8 cases) with poor prognostic histological indices displayed marked reduction in immunoreactivity to the nm23-H1 protein. The 2 cases of metastatic melanoma showed reduced or no nm23-H1 protein immunostaining. In conclusion, reduced nm23-H1 immunohistological expression is associated with melanomas that have high metastatic potential and poorer prognosis.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical demonstration of the nm23-H1 gene product in human malignant melanoma and Spitz nevi. 891 48

Uveal melanoma usually occurs sporadically in the absence of obvious genetic predisposing factors. However, in rare patients, there is a suggestion that there may be genetic predisposition. Rare occurrences of familial uveal melanoma are believed to be inherited in an autosomal dominant mode. There are a few clinical conditions that can predispose to or be associated with uveal melanoma, including ocular melanocytosis, neurofibromatosis type I, and familial atypical mole and melanoma syndrome. Nonrandom cytogenetic changes in uveal melanoma are characterized by monosomy 3, trisomy 8, and structural or numerical abnormalities of chromosome 6. Alterations of chromosome 9p are less frequently observed. CDKN2 gene, a cutaneous melanoma predisposition gene, is probably not a uveal melanoma predisposition gene as evidenced by the lack of somatic mutations involving this gene in uveal melanoma samples and the absence of germline mutations in familial uveal melanoma patients. Transgenic mouse models developed using a tyrosinase promoter tagged with a mutated ras gene or SV40-Tag oncoprotein develop retinal pigment epithelium tumors that resemble uveal melanoma. We propose that uveal melanoma cases be categorized on genetic basis according to a new classification system. This classification scheme will help to identify and uniformly categorize uveal melanoma patients with genetic predisposition. Such patients offer unique opportunities for studying the genetic aspects of uveal melanoma and, therefore, appropriate tissue samples should be obtained from them for molecular genetic studies. Further studies are needed to fully understand the genetic aspects of uveal melanoma.
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PMID:Genetic aspects of uveal melanoma: a brief review. 897 Jun 1

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the cancer showing the highest rate of increase in Europe. Attempts to reduce this trend are based on epidemiological studies which show that the development of melanoma is influenced by both constitutional and behavioural factors. The author summarizes the current knowledge on etiologically important factors in cutaneous malignant melanoma. Constitutional factors such as inheritance, congenital nevi, atypical moles and hormones are discussed, as well as behavioural factors, with the emphasis on exposure to sun.
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PMID:[Etiology of malignant melanoma--what do we know?]. 910 11

Melanoma is a life-threatening and rare malignancy in childhood and adolescence. Because it is so uncommon, melanoma may not be recognized readily or considered seriously in a differential diagnosis, resulting in delays in definitive treatment. We review melanoma occurring in 13 patients under 20 years of age who presented to a single tertiary care children's hospital. Five patients had nonmetastatic primary cutaneous melanoma, with Breslow thickness measurement ranging from 0.84 to 7.8 mm. Three patients had metastatic primary cutaneous melanoma, three had metastatic melanoma arising ina congenital giant nevus, and two had primary leptomeningeal melanoma. All of the patients were given definitive surgical treatment; some received adjunctive radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Overall 5-year survival rate was 40.0% for all cutaneous melanomas, which included 100% for clinical stage I disease, and 0% for clinical stage II and III disease. Both patients with primary leptomeningeal melanoma died an average of 6 months following diagnosis. Nonmetastatic primary cutaneous melanoma is a survivable disease if detected early and treated by surgical excision; metastatic and leptomeningeal disease were uniformly fatal. Types of melanoma, risk factors for melanoma, and the role of the dermatologist in primary prevention and detection are discussed.
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PMID:Melanoma in children and adolescents. 914 91

To provide a state-of-the-art summary of currently available data about the genetics of cutaneous melanoma and nevi, we reviewed the pertinent literature and outlined the important findings on genetic analyses. Although the first English-language report of melanoma in 1820 contained a description of a melanoma-prone family, seminal studies by investigators at the National Cancer Institute and the University of Pennsylvania identified dysplastic nevi (DN) as an important melanoma precursor, suggested an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance for both melanoma and DN, and proposed that a melanoma-susceptibility gene (CMM1) was located on chromosome 1p36. This gene assignment has not yet been confirmed by independent investigators. A second melanoma gene, designated CMM2, has been mapped to chromosome 9p21. This gene assignment has been confirmed independently, and the cell cycle regulator p16INK4a has been proposed as a candidate gene; germline mutations in this gene have been identified in about half of melanoma-prone families. Germline mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase gene CDK4 (chromosome 12q14) have recently been described in two melanoma kindreds; this finding likely represents a third melanoma gene. A heritable determinant for total nevus number has been suggested, as has the presence of a major gene responsible for total nevus density in melanoma-prone families. An autosomal dominant mode of inheritance for DN has been proposed, and evidence suggests that DN may be a pleiotropic manifestation of the 1p36 familial melanoma gene. Several studies have shown a surprisingly high prevalence of DN on the skin of family members of probands with DN. In light of the extensive evidence documenting that persons with DN (both sporadic and familial) have an increased prospective risk for melanoma, these family studies suggest that relatives of persons with DN should be examined for DN and for melanoma. Overall, genetic determinants have a major role in the pathogenesis of normal nevi, DN, and melanoma. Elucidating the molecular basis of these genetic events promises to enhance melanoma risk reduction strategies and thereby reduce melanoma-associated mortality.
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PMID:Genetics of cutaneous melanoma and nevi. 914 91

The cell surface adhesion molecule MCAM (MUC18) is strongly expressed by advanced primary and metastatic melanomas but is weaker and less frequent in nevus cells. Previous studies have shown that MCAM expression correlates with tumor thickness and metastatic potential of human melanoma cells in nude mice. To provide direct evidence that MCAM plays a role in tumor growth and metastasis of human melanoma, the nonmetastatic MCAM-negative primary cutaneous melanoma SB-2 cells were transfected with MCAM cDNA and analyzed subsequently for changes in their tumorigenic and metastatic potential. Enforced expression of MCAM in SB-2 cells rendered them highly tumorigenic and increased their metastatic potential in nude mice as compared with parental and control transfected cells. The transfected cells displayed increased homotypic adhesion, increased attachment to human endothelial cells, decreased ability to adhere to laminin, and increased invasiveness through Matrigel-coated filters. Anti-MCAM monoclonal antibody reversed these functions in the transfected cells but not in control cells. The above changes in function attributed to the expression of MCAM may underlie the contribution of MCAM/MUC18 to the malignant phenotype.
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PMID:Expression of MCAM/MUC18 by human melanoma cells leads to increased tumor growth and metastasis. 918 35

In Sweden, individuals with dysplastic naevus syndrome (DNS-D2), a high risk group for malignant melanoma, are regularly screened and informed about self-examination and sun protection. During the summer of 1994, 54 out of 65 consecutive patients completed 1 month of daily self-recordings of sun-related behaviour. The diary report was compared with questionnaire responses obtained 6 months later concerning sun-related behaviour, both habitual and during the month of self-recording. The correspondence between the sun-related behaviour recorded in the diary and given in response to the questionnaire was fairly high, but 48% underestimated and 29% overestimated their actual number of sunbathing occasions in the questionnaire. Few patients indicated habitual high frequencies of sunbathing, although some of them recorded six or more occasions during 1 month in the diary. Those who recorded multiple sunburns reported the highest number of sunburns in the questionnaire. Patients who scored high on sunbed use also recorded high numbers of sunbathing occasions. Diaries should be used when detailed information about the magnitude of sun-related behaviour is essential, whereas questionnaires should be sufficient in studies aiming to differentiate between high and low frequencies of such behaviour.
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PMID:Assessment of sun-related behaviour in individuals with dysplastic naevus syndrome: a comparison between diary recordings and questionnaire responses. 929 86

Consensus was recently reached in the Netherlands regarding the clinical management of dysplastic naevi and the definitions in clinical and pathological diagnostics. The term 'dysplastic' is reserved for histological diagnostics; the term preferred for clinical use is 'clinically atypical naevus'. A naevus is defined as clinically atypical if it meets three of the following five criteria: > or = 5 mm in diameter, vaguely bordered, asymmetrically shaped, irregularly pigmented and a red hue (erythema). Presence of clinically atypical naevi is a main risk factor for melanoma. Dysplastic naevus syndrome (DNS) is present if a patient has a melanoma and one or several clinically atypical naevi. The diagnosis of 'familial DNS' (familial atypical multiple mole-melanoma syndrome, abbreviation FAMMM syndrome) is made if at least two close relatives (including the patient) are known with a melanoma with or without atypical naevi, while one or several (other) relatives have atypical naevi. The risk of melanoma in a gene carrier of familial DNS is close to 100%, while multiple melanomas develop in 30% of the gene carriers. No DNA diagnostics is yet possible in most DNS/FAMMM families, because of the involvement of genes yet unknown. Accordingly, at present it is still too early for DNA diagnostics. Currently, therefore, the diagnosis is based only on anamnestic, clinical and histological grounds.
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PMID:[Dysplastic nevi and the risk of melanoma: a guideline for patient care. Nederlandse Melanoom Werkgroep van de Vereniging voor Integrale Kankercentra]. 955 Jul 52


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