Surgical Management of Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers
- An interesting advance in the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma is the use of inhibitors of the sonic hedgehog pathway. The vast majority of basal cell carcinomas harbor genetic mutations in the hedgehog signaling pathway, which results in constitutive activation and basal cell proliferation.
- SLNB is generally not recommended unless the lesion is between 0.75 and 1.0 mm, high risk based on histologic features (e.g., ulcerated or with > 1 mitoses/mm2), or inadequately staged (e.g., positive deep margin).
- An important variable in the prognosis of melanoma is the thickness of the primary tumor as assessed using the Breslow system. Tumor thickness in the Breslow system is measured from the epidermal surface to the deepest point of the tumor with a calibrated ocular micrometer.