Early melanoma diagnosis: A success story that leaves room for improvement

Current Opinion in Oncology

Volumn 19, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 109-115

  Halpern, Allan C ^a,b   Lieb, Jocelyn A ^a  

^a MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER   (United States)

^b Dermatology Service   (United States)

Author keywords

Diagnosis; Early; Melanoma; Skin cancer

Indexed keywords

CANCER DIAGNOSIS; CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY; CANCER INVASION; CANCER RISK; CANCER SCREENING; COHORT ANALYSIS; COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS; DERMATOLOGY; DIAGNOSTIC VALUE; EARLY DIAGNOSIS; EPILUMINESCENCE MICROSCOPY; ESTHETICS; HIGH RISK POPULATION; HUMAN; MEDICAL RESEARCH; MELANOMA; MORBIDITY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE; REVIEW;

EARLY DIAGNOSIS; HUMANS; MELANOMA; PROGNOSIS; SKIN NEOPLASMS;

EID: 33846785369     PISSN: 10408746     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/CCO.0b013e32801497b2     Document Type: Review

References (84)

1. American Cancer Society, SEER Cancer Statistics Review: Estimated New Cancer Cases and Deaths for 2006; American Cancer Society; 2006. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2003/results_single/sect_01_table.01.pdf. [Accessed 25 September 2006] SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) (http://www.seer.cancer.gov), part of the US National Institutes of Health, provides epidemiologic data on melanoma, and is important because it allows us to assess the impact of early diagnosis and treatments on incidence and survival rates.
2. Atkins MB, Elder DE, Essner R, et al. Innovations and challenges in melanoma: summary statement from the first Cambridge conference. Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12 (7 Pt 2):2291s-2296s. This describes the first conference bringing together leading melanoma experts from the fields of cancer research, medical oncology, surgical oncology, anatomic pathology, dermatology, and immunotherapy. It is of great importance because it provides a very comprehensive and up-to-date review of the current diagnosis, staging and treatment of melanoma, and discusses the latest and ongoing research.
3. Marks R. Campaigning for melanoma prevention: a model for a health education program. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2004; 18:44-47.
4. Weinstock MA. Progress and prospects on melanoma: the way forward for early detection and reduced mortality. Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12 (7 Pt 2): 2297s-2300s. This article carefully demonstrates the effectiveness of The Basic Skin Cancer Triage algorithm in helping physicians recognize potential melanomas.
5. Welch HG, Woloshin S, Schwartz LM. Skin biopsy rates and incidence of melanoma: population based ecological study. BMJ 2005; 331:481. This population-based study showed an increasing incidence of melanoma (specifically early melanoma) associated with increasing biopsy rates, with stable mortality rates. It is important because it suggests overdiagnosis of disease rather than actual increased incidence.
6. Azzarello LM, Dessureault S, Jacobsen PB. Sun-protective behavior among individuals with a family history of melanoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006; 15:142-145.
7. Tucker MA, Goldstein AM. Melanoma etiology: where are we? Oncogene 2003; 22:3042-3052.
8. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, April 2006. American Cancer Society (ACS). http://canques.seer.cancer.gov/cgi-bin/cq_submit? dir=usmort2003&db=7&rpt=LINE&sel=1∧0∧39∧∧∧0∧ 0&x=Year%20of%20death∧10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25, 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44&y=Race∧0,1, 2&dec=4&title=Age- Adjusted+Total+US+Mortality+Rates~For+Melanoma+of+the+Skin,+All+Ages, +Both+Sexes~For+1969-2003+by+Race~Age- Adjusted+to+the+2000+US+Std+Population&template=faststats. [Accessed 29 November 2006]. SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) (http://www.seer.cancer.gov), part of the US National Institutes of Health, provides epidemiologic data on melanoma, and is important because it allows us to assess the impact of early diagnosis and treatments on incidence and survival rates.
9. Balch CM, Soong SJ, Atkins MB, et al. An evidence-based staging system for cutaneous melanoma. CA Cancer J Clin 2004; 54:131-149.
10. Morton DL, Thompson JF, Cochran AJ, et al. Sentinel-node biopsy or nodal observation in melanoma. N Engl J Med 2006; 355:1307-1317.
11. Temple CL, Arlette JP. Mohs micrographic surgery in the treatment of lentigo maligna and melanoma. J Surg Oncol 2006; 94:287-292.
12. Flaherty KT. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy combinations in advanced melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12 (7 Pt 2):2366s-2370s.
13. Ribas A. Update on immunotherapy for melanoma. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2006; 4:687-694. This comprehensive article discusses the current immunotherapies used in treating advanced stage melanoma and addresses their lack of efficacy.
14. Smalley KS, Haass NK, Brafford PA, et al. Multiple signaling pathways must be targeted to overcome drug resistance in cell lines derived from melanoma metastases. Molecular cancer therapeutics 2006; 5:1136-1144.
15. Thomas JM, Giblin V. Cure of cutaneous melanoma. BMJ 2006; 332:987-988.
16. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program; April 2006. American Cancer Society. Available at: http://canques.seer.cancer.gov/cgi-bin/ cq_submit?dir=surv2003&db=101&rpt=TAB&sel=∧0∧12∧∧ ∧0∧0&x=Statistic%20type∧2,3,4,5&y=Year%20of%20diagnosis∧ 0,1,3∧Race∧0,1&dec=0,0,0,0&referrer=0&title= SEER+Stage+Distribution+by+Race~For+Melanoma+of+the+Skin,+All+Ages, +Both+Sexes~SEER+9+Registries+for+1975-79,+1985-89,+1995-2002&template= faststats. [Accessed 29 November 2006] SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) (http://www.seer.cancer.gov), part of the US National Institutes of Health, provides epidemiologic data on melanoma, and is important because it allows us to assess the impact of early diagnosis and treatments on incidence and survival rates.
17. Berwick M. Why are people still dying from melanoma? Archives of dermatology 1999; 135:1534-1536.
18. Berwick M, Wiggins C. The current epidemiology of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Front Biosci 2006; 11:1244-1254. This descriptive paper addresses recent epidemiologic trends of cutaneous melanoma, including the increase in thinner melanomas.
19. Crocetti E, Carli P. Changes from mid-1980s to late 1990s among clinical and demographic correlates of melanoma thickness. Eur J Dermatol 2003; 13:72-75.
20. Garbe C, McLeod GR, Buettner PG. Time trends of cutaneous melanoma in Queensland, Australia and Central Europe. Cancer 2000; 89:1269-1278.
21. Jemal A, Devesa SS, Hartge P, Tucker MA. Recent trends in cutaneous melanoma incidence among whites in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst 2001; 93:678-683.
22. McPherson M, Elwood M, English DR, et al. Presentation and detection of invasive melanoma in a high-risk population. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:783-792.
23. Richard MA, Grob JJ, Avril MF, et al. Delays in diagnosis and melanoma prognosis (I): the role of patients. Int J Cancer 2000; 89:271-279.
24. Friedman RJ, Rigel DS, Kopf AW. Early detection of malignant melanoma: the role of physician examination and self-examination of the skin. CA Cancer J Clin 1985; 35:130-151.
25. Abbasi NR, Shaw HM, Rigel DS, et al. Early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma: revisiting the ABCD criteria. JAMA 2004; 292:2771-2776.
26. Rigel DS, Friedman RJ, Kopf AW, Polsky D. ABCDE-an evolving concept in the early detection of melanoma. Arch Dermatol 2005; 141:1032-1034.
27. Carli P, De Giorgi V, Crocetti E, et al. Improvement of malignant/benign ratio in excised melanocytic lesions in the 'dermoscopy era': a retrospective study 1997-2001. Br J Dermatol 2004; 150:687-692.
28. Morton CA, Mackie RM. Clinical accuracy of the diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Br J Dermatol 1998; 138:283-287.
29. Nehal KS, Oliveria SA, Marghoob AA, et al. Use of and beliefs about baseline photography in the management of patients with pigmented lesions: a survey of dermatology residency programmes in the United States. Melanoma Res 2002; 12:161-167.
30. Nehal KS, Oliveria SA, Marghoob AA, et al. Use of and beliefs about dermoscopy in the management of patients with pigmented lesions: a survey of dermatology residency programmes in the United States. Melanoma Res 2002; 12:601-605.
31. Wang SQ, Kopf AW, Koenig K, et al. Detection of melanomas in patients followed up with total cutaneous examinations, total cutaneous photography, and dermoscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol 2004; 50:15-20.
32. Coory M, Baade P, Aitken J, et al. Trends for in situ and invasive melanoma in Queensland, Australia, 1982-2002. Cancer Causes Control 2006; 17:21-27. This describes one of very few recent studies addressing the increased incidence of in-situ melanomas across an extended time period. It effectively demonstrates a shift to more in-situ lesions, suggesting that the stabilization of mortality rates is largely due to earlier detection.
33. Fears TR, Guerry Dt, Pfeiffer RM, et al. Identifying individuals at high risk of melanoma: a practical predictor of absolute risk. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:3590-3596.
34. Gandini S, Sera F, Cattaruzza MS, et al. Meta-analysis of risk factors for cutaneous melanoma: I. Common and atypical naevi. Eur J Cancer 2005; 41:28-44. This outstanding meta-analysis demonstrates an increased melanoma risk among individuals with greater numbers of not only common nevi, but dysplastic nevi as well.
35. Johnson TM, Chang A, Redman B, et al. Management of melanoma with a multidisciplinary melanoma clinicmodel. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000; 42 (5 Pt 1):820-826.
36. Clark WH Jr, Tucker MA. Problems with lesions related to the development of malignant melanoma: common nevi, dysplastic nevi, malignant melanoma in situ, and radial growth phase malignant melanoma. Human Pathol 1998; 29:8-14.
37. Banky JP, Kelly JW, English DR, et al. Incidence of new and changed nevi and melanomas detected using baseline images and dermoscopy in patients at high risk for melanoma. Arch Dermatol 2005; 141:998-1006.
38. Carli P, Nardini P, Crocetti E, et al. Frequency and characteristics of melanomas missed at a pigmented lesion clinic: a registry-based study. Melanoma Res 2004; 14:403-407.
39. Weinstock MA. Early detection of melanoma. JAMA 2000; 284:886-889.
40. Dennis LK. Analysis of the melanoma epidemic, both apparent and real: data from the 1973 through 1994 surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program registry. Arch Dermatol 1999; 135:275-280.
41. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, April 2006. American Cancer Society. Available at: http://canques.seer.cancer.gov/cgi-bin/ cq_submit?dir=usmort2003&db=7&rpt=LINE&sel=1∧0∧39∧∧ 0∧∧9&x=Year%20of%20death∧10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22, 23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44&y= Sex∧0,1,2&dec=4&title=Age- Adjusted+Total+US+Mortality+Rates~For+Melanoma+of+the+Skin,+Ages+20-54, +All+Races~For+1969-2003+by+Sex~Age-Adjusted+to+the+2000+US+Std+Population& template=faststats. [Accessed 29 November 2006] SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) (http://www.seer.cancer.gov), part of the US National Institutes of Health, provides epidemiologic data on melanoma, and is important because it allows us to assess the impact of early diagnosis and treatments on incidence and survival rates.
42. Aitken JF, Janda M, Elwood M, et al. Clinical outcomes from skin screening clinics within a community-based melanoma screening program. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:105-114.
43. Ek EW, Giorlando F, Su SY, Dieu T. Clinical diagnosis of skin tumours: how good are we? ANZ J Surg 2005; 75:415-420.
44. Har-Shai Y, Hai N, Taran A, et al. Sensitivity and positive predictive values of presurgical clinical diagnosis of excised benign and malignant skin tumors: a prospective study of 835 lesions in 778 patients. Plast Reconstr Surg 2001; 108:1982-1989.
45. Brown MD, Johnson TM, Swanson NA. Changing trends in melanoma treatment and the expanding role of the dermatologist. Dermatologic clinics 1991; 9:657-667.
46. Fader DJ, Wise CG, Normolle DP, Johnson TM. The multidisciplinary melanoma clinic: a cost outcomes analysis of specialty care. J Am Acad Dermatol 1998; 38 (5 Pt 1):742-751.
47. Charles CA, Yee VS, Dusza SW, et al. Variation in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of melanoma in situ: a survey of US dermatologists. Arch Dermatol 2005; 141:723-729.
48. Friedman KP, Whitaker-Worth DL, Grin C, Grant-Kels JM. Melanoma screening behavior among primary care physicians. Cutis 2004; 74:305-311.
49. Gerbert B, Maurer T, Berger T, et al. Primary care physicians as gatekeepers in managed care. Primary care physicians' and dermatologists' skills at secondary prevention of skin cancer. Arch Dermatol 1996; 132:1030-1038.
50. Jacobson CC, Nguyen JC, Kimball AB. Gender and parenting significantly affect work hours of recent dermatology program graduates. Arch Dermatol 2004; 140:191-196.
51. McKinstry B, Colthart I, Elliott K, Hunter C. The feminization of the medical work force, implications for Scottish primary care: a survey of Scottish general practitioners. BMC Health Serv Res 2006; 6:56.
52. Resneck JS Jr, Tierney EP, Kimball AB. Challenges facing academic dermatology: survey data on the faculty workforce. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:211-216.
53. Tsang MW, Resneck JS Jr. Even patients with changing moles face long dermatology appointment wait-times: a study of simulated patient calls to dermatologists. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 55:54-58. This study accurately addresses the issue of manpower shortage in the field of dermatology and demonstrates shorter wait times in practices using physician extenders.
54. McGovern TW, Litaker MS. Clinical predictors of malignant pigmented lesions. A comparison of the Glasgow seven-point checklist and the American Cancer Society's ABCDs of pigmented lesions. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1992; 18:22-26.
55. Carli P, De Giorgi V, Crocetti E, et al. Diagnostic and referral accuracy of family doctors in melanoma screening: effect of a short formal training. Eur J Cancer Prev 2005; 14:51-55.
56. Carli P, De Giorgi V, Nardini P, et al. Melanoma detection rate and concordance between self-skin examination and clinical evaluation in patients attending a pigmented lesion clinic in Italy. Br J Dermatol 2002; 146:261-266.
57. Geller AC, O'Riordan DL, Oliveria SA, et al. Overcoming obstacles to skin cancer examinations and prevention counseling for high-risk patients: results of a national survey of primary care physicians. J Am Board Fam Prac 2004; 17:416-423.
58. Weinstock MA, Martin RA, Risica PM, et al. Thorough skin examination for the early detection of melanoma. Am J Prev Med 1999; 17:169-175.
59. Argenziano G, Puig S, Zalaudek I, et al. Dermoscopy improves accuracy of primary care physicians to triage lesions suggestive of skin cancer. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:1877-1882. This effectively demonstrates that interventions can improve the primary care physician's ability to appropriately triage suspicious lesions to dermatologists.
60. Benvenuto-Andrade C, Dusza SW, Hay JL, et al. Level of confidence in diagnosis: clinical examination versus dermoscopy examination. Dermatol Surg 2006; 32:738-744.
61. Tripp JM, Kopf AW, Marghoob AA, Bart RS. Management of dysplastic nevi: a survey of fellows of the American Academy of Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002; 46:674-682.
62. Feit NE, Dusza SW, Marghoob AA. Melanomas detected with the aid of total cutaneous photography. Br J Dermatol 2004; 150:706-714.
63. Girardi S, Gaudy C, Gouvernet J, et al. Superiority of a cognitive education with photographs over ABCD criteria in the education of the general population to the early detection of melanoma: a randomized study. Int J Cancer 2006; 118:2276-2280.
64. Halpern AC. Total body skin imaging as an aid to melanoma detection. Semin Cutan Med Surg 2003; 22:2-8.
65. Kelly JW, Yeatman JM, Regalia C, et al. A high incidence of melanoma found in patients with multiple dysplastic naevi by photographic surveillance. Med J Aust 1997; 167:191-194.
66. Kittler H, Binder M. Risks and benefits of sequential imaging of melanocytic skin lesions in patients with multiple atypical nevi. Arch Dermatol 2001; 137:1590-1595.
67. Kittler H, Guitera P, Riedl E, et al. Identification of clinically featureless incipient melanoma using sequential dermoscopy imaging. Arch Dermatol 2006; 142:1113-1119.
68. Berwick M, Begg CB, Fine JA, et al. Screening for cutaneous melanoma by skin self-examination. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996; 88:17-23.
69. Carli P, De Giorgi V, Palli D, et al. Dermatologist detection and skin self-examination are associated with thinner melanomas: results from a survey of the Italian Multidisciplinary Group on Melanoma. Arch Dermatol 2003; 139:607-612.
70. Koh HK, Miller DR, Geller AC, et al. Who discovers melanoma? Patterns from a population-based survey. J Am Acad Dermatol 1992; 26:914-919.
71. Helfand M, Mahon SM, Eden KB, et al. Screening for skin cancer. Am J Prev Med 2001; 20 (3 Suppl):47-58.
72. Aitken JF, Youl PH, Janda M, et al. Increase in skin cancer screening during a community-based randomized intervention trial. Int J Cancer 2006; 118:1010-1016. This excellent randomized control trial demonstrated the positive effect of a Skin-Watch intervention program on the prevalence of whole-body skin examinations and on skin self-examination and therefore is geared toward improving public awareness.
73. Youl PH, Janda M, Elwood M, et al. Who attends skin cancer clinics within a randomized melanoma screening program? Cancer Detect Prev 2006; 30:44-51.
74. Geller AC, Zhang Z, Sober AJ, et al. The first 15 years of the American Academy of Dermatology skin cancer screening programs: 1985-1999. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003; 48:34-41.
75. Gooderham MJ, Guenther L. Sun and the skin: evaluation of a sun awareness program for elementary school students. J Cutan Med Surg 1999; 3:230-235.
76. Vandaele MM, Richert B, Van der Endt JD, et al. Melanoma screening: results of the first one-day campaign in Belgium ('melanoma Monday'). J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2000; 14:470-472.
77. Christos PJ, Oliveria SA, Masse LC, et al. Skin cancer prevention and detection by nurses: attitudes, perceptions, and barriers. J Cancer Educ 2004; 19:50-57.
78. Oliveria SA, Dusza SW, Phelan DL, et al. Patient adherence to skin self-examination. effect of nurse intervention with photographs. Am J Prev Med 2004; 26:152-155.
79. Oliveria SA, Nehal KS, Christos PJ, et al. Using nurse practitioners for skin cancer screening: a pilot study. Am J Prev Med 2001; 21:214-217.
80. Oliveria SA, Altman JF, Christos PJ, Halpern AC. Use of nonphysician healthcare providers for skin cancer screening in the primary care setting. Prev Med 2002; 34:374-379.
81. Blum A, Luedtke H, Ellwanger U, et al. Digital image analysis for diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma. Development of a highly effective computer algorithm based on analysis of 837 melanocytic lesions. Br J Dermatol 2004; 151:1029-1038.
82. Massone C, Di Stefani A, Soyer HP. Dermoscopy for skin cancer detection. Curr Opin Oncol 2005; 17:147-153.
83. Menzies SW. Cutaneous melanoma: making a clinical diagnosis, present and future. Dermatol Ther 2006; 19:32-39. This article effectively discusses the usefulness of different tools used in the diagnosis of melanocytic lesions.
84. Rosado B, Menzies S, Harbauer A, et al. Accuracy of computer diagnosis of melanoma: a quantitative meta-analysis. Arch Dermatol 2003; 139:361-367.