Childhood and Adolescent Melanoma: An Update.

Abstract

Pediatric melanoma is a rare but clinically significant public health concern, as it can account for 7% of all malignancies in adolescents aged 15-19. Given the overall rarity of pediatric melanoma, especially in pre-adolescents, patients can go undetected, leading to a delay in treatment. We divide pediatric melanoma into three distinct age ranges which include infantile, pre-adolescent and adolescent subtypes and distinguish between each age range their clinical features, prognosis and associated risk factors. We next summarize the three predominant melanoma subtypes that include Spitzoid melanoma, congenital melanocytic nevus associated melanoma and conventional (adult-type) melanoma and provide distinguishing clinical, histologic, and genetic features from their difficult-to-different benign counterparts. We conclude by reviewing consensus guidelines for pediatric melanoma staging and treatment, with a special emphasis on outlining barriers to adapting the advancements in targeted therapeutics into the standard care of pediatric melanoma.