๐Ÿ—‚ ็ธฝ็›ฎ้Œ„ ๏ฝœ ๐Ÿ“– ่‹ฑๆ–‡ๅŽŸๆ–‡๏ผˆๆœฌ็ฏ‡๏ผ‰ ๏ฝœ ๐Ÿ“ ๅฎŒๆ•ด็ฟป่ญฏ ๏ฝœ โญ ็ฒพ่ฏ็ญ†่จ˜

Introduction

CHAPTER 46 Melanoma

Derek J. Erstad Kenneth K. Tanabe

SUMMARY

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer, accounting for an estimated

76,380 new cases and 10,130 deaths in the United States each year.

Though medical management of melanoma has improved markedly over the past

several years, surgical treatment remains the mainstay of early melanoma management.

Beginner Tips

Thorough physical examination is required at diagnosis and preoperative evaluation,

and any clinically apparent nodal metastases should be confirmed via FNA.

A complete staging workup is required after confirmation of nodal metastases.

As a general rule, all melanoma excisions should be taken to the level of the fascia.

Expert Tips

SLNB should be considered for melanomas greater than 1 mm in depth.

Combination blue dye and 99mTc permits SLN detection of at least 98%, though SLN

detection in the head and neck is particularly challenging.

Extensive or recurrent melanoma on the extremity may be treated with adjuvant

hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion, though this approach has significant morbidity as well.

Donโ€™t Forget!

Melanomas on the trunk may drain to contralateral or multiple basins.

Effective SLNB is contingent on close coordination between the surgeon, the nuclear

medicine specialist, and the pathologist.

Lymphoscintigraphy with SLNB has had the greatest effect on patients with

microscopic nodal metastases.

Pitfalls and Cautions

Complication rates from lymph node dissection range from 50% to 90%.

Experience with SLNB has a significant impact on the ability to reliably reduce nodal

relapse. It remains unclear whether patients with positive SLNB would benefit from complete LND.

Patient Education Points

Preoperative consultation should include not only general education regarding the

nature of the disease, but also the morbidity associated with various approaches.

Given the very high rate of complications, patients must be informed regarding these

risks well ahead of surgery and should be highly motivated.

In general, once patients understand the significant mortality associated with the

disease, the morbidity associated with SLNB and CLND are more palatable.

Billing Pearls

Elliptical melanoma excisions are generally coded with the malignant excision code

series (11600 series) and the intermediate (12030 series) or complex repair (13101

series) codes, depending on the complexity of closure.

SLNB is generally not performed by dermatologic surgeons in the United States.

CHAPTER 46 Melanoma

INTRODUCTION

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. In 2016, there were an estimated 76,380 new cases (21.8 per 100,000) and 10,130 deaths (2.7 per 100,000) from the disease in the United States.1 The annual incidence is projected to increase to 230,000 by 2030, due to several factors including better detection and reporting, an aging population, and continued high-risk behaviors.2 Innovations in targeted molecular and immunotherapies have advanced our ability to treat disseminated disease, though surgery remains the mainstay of curative therapy for patients with early-stage melanoma. Over the last several decades, melanoma surgical procedures have been evaluated and optimized for effectiveness and safety, and most aspects of treatment have been standardized. This chapter focuses on the current surgical principles of melanoma surgery, including preoperative evaluation and testing, biopsy techniques, wide local excision (WLE) for primary cutaneous disease, sentinel node sampling, treatment of regional disease with lymphadenectomy and isolated limb perfusion and infusion, and the role of surgery for distant metastases.