{"title":"Identifying BRAF and KIT mutations in melanoma","authors":"M. Takata","doi":"10.1586/EDM.12.78","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.12.78","url":null,"abstract":"Approximately 50% of melanomas harbor an activating mutation in codon 600 of the BRAF gene, while KIT mutations are found in 10–20% of acral and mucosal melanomas and melanomas on chronically sun-damaged skin. Because of the remarkable efficacy of oral kinase inhibitors, such as vemurafenib and imatinib, for melanomas harboring mutations in BRAF and KIT genes, molecular testing identifying mutations in these oncogenes is becoming important in patients with advanced melanoma. Since standardized mutation testing for BRAF and KIT is not currently available, the doctors should know the strengths and limitations of different testing procedures. Because of the intertumor heterogeneity of BRAF and KIT mutations, isolation and genotyping of circulating melanoma cells may provide vital information for optimal patient care.","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"234 1","pages":"171-176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80721061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diagnostic implications of loss of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine for melanoma","authors":"C. Lian, G. Murphy","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"15 1","pages":"99-101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78801904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dale Han, L. Turner, D. Reed, J. Messina, V. Sondak
{"title":"The prognostic significance of lymph node metastasis in pediatric melanoma and atypical melanocytic proliferations","authors":"Dale Han, L. Turner, D. Reed, J. Messina, V. Sondak","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"2 1","pages":"103-106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79489911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The prognostic significance of BRAF mutation status in stage IIIB–C melanoma","authors":"M. Niebling, K. Wevers, H. Hoekstra","doi":"10.1586/EDM.12.80","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.12.80","url":null,"abstract":"Evaluation of: Moreau S, Saiag P, Aegerter P et al. Prognostic value of BRAF (V600) mutations in melanoma patients after resection of metastatic lymph nodes. Ann. Surg. Oncol. 19(13), 4314–4321 (2012).Recently introduced systemic agents have shown promising results in melanoma patients with distant metastases. However, the durability of the effect of these agents is still disappointing. In melanoma patients with palpable regional lymph node metastases, these new systemic drugs might induce longer efficacy as tumor load is low compared to patients with distant metastases. However, before administering these potentially toxic and still very expensive systemic drugs the selection of patients who will most probably benefit from them is important. In this key paper evaluation, the use of BRAF mutation status as a prognostic marker in stage III melanoma is discussed.","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"84 1","pages":"127-129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80822330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"South Africa’s first time hosting The 3rd Continental Congress of the International Society of Dermatology and the 65th Annual Dermatology Meeting","authors":"N. Dlova, A. Mosam","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.12","url":null,"abstract":"The 3rd Continental Congress of the International Society of DermatologyDurban, South Africa, Kwa-Zulu Natal, 24–27 October 2012The Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine (University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa), Dermatology Department, under the auspices of the Dermatology Society of South Africa, together with the International Society of Dermatology hosted the 3rd Continental Congress of the International Society of Dermatology in Durban, South Africa from 24 to 27 October 2012. The main purpose of the meeting was to provide a venue for bringing an international perspective to a regional dermatological meeting with international speakers and a broader international attendance. About 400 faculty members and delegates participated in the meetings, which had over 30 sessions. Topics of interest ranged from ethnic skin and hair, drug reactions, infections, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV dermatoses to dermatologic surgery, Botox and fillers with exciting diagnostic interactive sessions, rapi...","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"13 1","pages":"123-125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87739973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Controversies and evolving concepts in the diagnosis, classification and management of lentigo maligna","authors":"C. Shiau, J. Thompson, R. Scolyer","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.17","url":null,"abstract":"The diagnosis of lentigo maligna (LM) is often challenging for both clinicians and pathologists. LM is widely regarded as a form of melanoma in situ occurring in severely sun-damaged skin with characteristic clinical and pathologic features. However, compared with other forms of in situ melanoma, it often has a long-term clinical course for evolution to invasive melanoma. Some authorities advocate dividing LM into premalignant/precursor and in situ melanoma (LM in situ melanoma) phases, implying a lesser risk of the former for developing invasive melanoma. However, this subtle morphologic distinction does not necessarily correlate well with clinical outcome. An initial tissue sample for histologic diagnosis is commonly a small proportion of the lesion and may not be representative/diagnostic of LM. New clinical diagnostic tools including dermoscopy and in vivo confocal microscopy have improved the accuracy of both clinical diagnosis of LM and also defining the peripheral extent of the lesion for definitiv...","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"148 1","pages":"195-214"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75764430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Piérard, C. Franchimont, T. Hermanns‐Lê, P. Delvenne
{"title":"Cutaneous melanocytomas: a conceptual cluster of atypical and indolent melanocytic neoplasms","authors":"G. Piérard, C. Franchimont, T. Hermanns‐Lê, P. Delvenne","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.11","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, clinical dermoscopy has yielded improvement in the early disclosure of various atypical melanocytic neoplasms (AMN). Beyond this approach, histopathology of AMN remains mandatory in the establishment of their precise diagnosis and proper management. Of note, panels of expert pathologists in AMN diagnosis report only moderate agreement in a variety of puzzling cases. The risk for divergence in opinion and microscopic misdiagnosis is probably increased when histopathologic criteria are not fine-tuned and when the number of AMN entities is increasing. In addition, some of the AMN have been differently designated in the literature including atypical Spitz tumor, metastasizing Spitz tumor, borderline and intermediate melanocytic tumor, malignant Spitz nevus and pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma or animal-type melanoma. Some acronyms have been further proposed such as MELTUMP (after ‘melanocytic tumor of uncertain malignant potential’) and STUMP (after ‘Spitzoid melanocytic tumor of uncertain ...","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"112 1","pages":"185-194"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80995979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Piccolo, E. Moscarella, I. Zalaudek, G. Ferrara, R. Picciocchi, O. Ametrano, G. Argenziano
{"title":"Analysis of clinical and dermoscopic features in melanocytic lesions with special emphasis on problematic lesions in children","authors":"V. Piccolo, E. Moscarella, I. Zalaudek, G. Ferrara, R. Picciocchi, O. Ametrano, G. Argenziano","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.9","url":null,"abstract":"Most melanocytic lesions in children are considered ‘nonproblematic’ and are managed conservatively because of their invariable benignity. Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) and Spitz nevi are the most problematic pigmented lesions in childhood. Regarding CMN, the biggest risk of melanoma development occurs with increased nevus size, being particularly high in giant CMN, in children younger than 10 years. On the other hand, awareness should be related to new, rapidly growing lesions (the clinical hallmark of Spitz/Reed nevi and melanoma). The aim of this review is to present clinical and dermoscopic features of a large spectrum of pediatric melanocytic lesions with special attention to problematic lesions that may occur in childhood.","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"70 1","pages":"155-170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78968327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Methodology and clinical utility of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of lymph nodes in melanoma patients","authors":"G. Schäfer, A. Eggermont, C. Voit","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.16","url":null,"abstract":"Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology is an evolving method for quick diagnosis of the presence or absence of tumor in lymph nodes in malignant melanoma patients. New criteria for suspicion have greatly improved sensitivity and thus the clinical utility of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. An earlier diagnosis of the presence of metastasis may lead to earlier surgical and systemic treatments and therefore an improvement of outcome in terms of relapse-free and even overall survival.","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"1 1","pages":"145-153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76702286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Melanoma: is immunotherapy the future?","authors":"J. Weber","doi":"10.1586/EDM.13.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1586/EDM.13.14","url":null,"abstract":"Interview by Jenaid Rees, Commissioning EditorJeffrey S Weber, MD, PhD, is the current Director of the Donald A Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center of Excellence and is a senior member at the Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL, USA). After achieving his PhD in molecular cell biology from Rockefeller University (NY, USA) and then a medical degree from New York University Medical Center (NY, USA), Dr Weber went on to complete a residency in internal medicine for the University of California, San Diego (CA, USA) before undertaking his fellowships at the National Cancer Institute (MD, USA). His main clinical interest involves immunotherapy for melanoma and other malignancies, and he has been working in the field of melanoma therapeutics for over 20 years. In this time, he has published more than 120 articles in peer reviewed journals and has served on several scientific boards including the Melanoma Research Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee and the scientific advisory board of the Melanoma Thera...","PeriodicalId":12255,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Dermatology","volume":"122 1","pages":"119-121"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76765829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}