Melanoma Research最新文献

{"title":"Endothelial protein C receptor expression as a marker of reduced metastatic risk in primary melanoma.","authors":"Takayuki Fusumae, Takeru Funakoshi, Ikuko Hirai, Yoshio Nakamura, Keitaro Fukuda, Takashi Iwata, Masayuki Amagai, Keiji Tanese","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000001123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malignant melanoma has a strong propensity for early metastatic dissemination, yet conventional clinicopathological predictors such as Breslow thickness do not fully capture individual metastatic risk. The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) exerts context-dependent functions across malignancies, but its clinical significance in melanoma remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed primary tumor specimens from 62 patients with invasive melanoma; 61 with complete outcome data formed the analytic cohort for metastasis analyses. EPCR expression in melanoma cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using semi-quantitative intensity and extent scores (0-3). Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were graded according to the Melanoma Institute Australia scoring system. Higher EPCR expression was associated with lower odds of documented lymph-node and distant metastatic involvement. In prespecified parsimonious multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for tumor thickness and ulceration, higher EPCR extent remained independently associated with reduced lymph-node involvement (adjusted odds ratio: 0.36, 95% confidence interval:, 0.17-0.70). EPCR expression showed a positive association with CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte scores. Higher EPCR expression in primary melanoma was independently associated with reduced lymph-node involvement and with a CD8+-inflamed tumor microenvironment, suggesting EPCR may complement conventional pathological predictors of metastatic risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148430678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Twenty-one years of cutaneous melanoma: stage shift, anatomical patterns and diagnostic trends from a Southern European tertiary center.","authors":"Nello Tommasino, Claudia Costa, Alessia Villani, Luca Menna, Adriana Di Guida, Luigi Coronella, Maddalena Napolitano, Massimiliano Scalvenzi","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001115","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cutaneous melanoma incidence continues to rise worldwide, while advances in dermoscopic surveillance increasingly influence the stage at diagnosis. Long-term single-center analyses offer a unique perspective on how demographic shifts, tumor biology, and diagnostic intensity interact over time. We retrospectively analyzed 4062 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 2003 and 2024 at a tertiary dermatology center in Southern Italy. Demographic characteristics, anatomical site, and Breslow thickness were collected. Temporal trends were assessed using regression models and χ2 tests for trend. Melanoma diagnoses increased significantly over the study period ( P  < 0.0001), with a near three-fold rise between the first (2003-2013) and second (2014-2024) decades. In parallel, the proportion of melanoma in situ increased from 38.2 to 57.5% ( P  < 0.0001), indicating a pronounced shift toward earlier-stage detection. Mean age at diagnosis rose significantly over time ( P  < 0.001). Trunk melanomas predominated overall, particularly among men, whereas lower limb melanomas were more frequent among women ( P  < 0.001). Acral melanomas, although uncommon, showed the highest proportion of thick lesions (48.6%; ≥0.8 mm). Over two decades, melanoma diagnoses increased markedly alongside a substantial shift toward early stage disease. While these trends reflect improvements in surveillance and diagnostic sensitivity, the persistent burden of thick melanomas - particularly in acral locations and older patients - underscores unresolved diagnostic gaps.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148252127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gastric metastasis of malignant melanoma with osteosarcomatous differentiation: a rare and unusual presentation.","authors":"Vidya Monappa, Badareesh L, Balaji Musunuri, Naveen Salins","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001094","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gastric metastasis of melanoma is a rare event associated with poor prognosis and short survival. Patients usually present with gastrointestinal symptoms, and in the absence of a prior history of primary tumor elsewhere, this can pose a diagnostic challenge. Melanoma has an inherent property to show transdifferentiation, which is retained even at the site of metastasis. Osteosarcomatous differentiation in melanoma is extremely uncommon, restricted to isolated case reports in the literature. A 79-year-old male patient, a known case of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, presented with generalized weakness and dysphagia of 15 days duration. Clinical impression was of lymphoma progression. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a 4 × 5 cm proliferative growth in the gastric fundus. Biopsy of the lesion was suggestive of melanoma with osteosarcomatous differentiation. It was regarded as metastasis as patient had a history of acral lentiginous melanoma 2 years ago. Patient was, however, willing only for palliative treatment. Patient succumbed to septic shock within 2 months of diagnosis. Herein, we report a case of gastric metastasis of melanoma with osteosarcomatous differentiation and discuss the clinical presentation, radiologic findings, challenges in histopathological diagnosis, and treatment options for this unusual entity.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"219-222"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147390642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The London Melanonychia Assessment Tool for the identification of malignant lesions in patients presenting with melanonychia.","authors":"Zak Vinnicombe, Masha Singh, Joy Odili, Mark Soldin","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001085","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Longitudinal melanonychia is a pigmented band on the nail plate that may be caused by both benign or malignant changes. There is often concern that the pigment may indicate subungual melanoma or melanoma in-situ and the diagnosis can be challenging. Consequently, a scoring system that aids clinicians in identifying high-risk lesions will be beneficial. This was a retrospective, cohort analysis of patients undergoing nail unit biopsies, with clinical images available, at a tertiary skin cancer unit. Patient images were reviewed by skin cancer specialists, and a new scoring system was applied. Scoring characteristics were: nail dystrophy, more than 40% nail involvement, Hutchinson's sign, and asymmetry. The number of nails involved (i.e. single or multiple) and the change over time were also obtained from the clinical notes. Median scores for each patient were then calculated, and a receiver operating characteristic curve was utilized to identify the score with the highest sensitivity and specificity. Seven malignant and 33 benign lesions were included. Utilizing a score of greater than or equal to 4, the London Melanonychia Assessment Tool (LMAT) had a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 73%. There is increasing pressure on skin cancer units, with greater numbers of urgent referrals. Although other tools for the assessment of melanonychia have been published, the LMAT includes a wide variety of lesions, making it transferable to clinical practice. The LMAT may help clinicians in identifying lesions that are higher risk and therefore should undergo biopsy or closer monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"197-202"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147307620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan in liver metastatic uveal melanoma and viscoelastic hemostatic assays guided coagulation assessment for thrombocytopenia.","authors":"Uzung Yoon, Jia Wang, Zachariah Covelens","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001093","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thrombocytopenia is a well-documented hematologic consequence in patients undergoing percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) to treat hepatic metastases secondary to ocular melanoma. In this case, four sequential PHP procedures resulted in significant thrombocytopenia, reaching 92, 75, 64, and 68% of baseline values. The thrombocytopenia was transient and spontaneously resolved within weeks. During the third procedure, a rotational thromboelastometry analysis was performed. We observed no clinically significant bleeding events, and rotational thromboelastometry analysis demonstrated a modest 11% reduction in maximum clot firmness, indicating preserved hemostatic function. These findings suggest that thrombocytopenia associated with PHP does not necessarily result in clinically relevant bleeding, and prophylactic platelet transfusion may not be warranted. Instead, perioperative coagulation monitoring utilizing viscoelastic hemostatic assays provide a dynamic, real-time assessment of hemostatic integrity, facilitating goal-directed perioperative management and intervention during PHP.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"223-228"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147463618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into inherited genetic variations and genetic ancestry of patients with high-risk melanoma.","authors":"Ahmad A Tarhini, Mohammad Ali Khaksar, Zhihua Chen, Sandra J Lee, F Stephen Hodi, Tingyi Li, Alvaro N Monteiro, Howard Streicher, Vernon K Sondak, Xuefeng Wang, John M Kirkwood, Peter A Kanetsky","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001087","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Host genetic ancestry plays an important role in shaping somatic mutation landscapes and may influence therapeutic outcomes as well as the risk of developing treatment-related adverse events. As genetic ancestry has been associated with differential susceptibility to melanoma subtypes, distinct somatic mutation frequencies and variable responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors warrant further investigation. This study investigated the genetic ancestry of a North American melanoma population using banked biospecimens from 744 patients enrolled in the ECOG-ACRIN E1609 phase III clinical trial (stages IIIB, IIIC, M1a, or M1b). Peripheral blood samples were genotyped using the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array v3.0 + Multi-Disease BeadChip, followed by quality control, integration with reference dataset, and linkage disequilibrium pruning (198 064 single nucleotide polymorphisms). Dimensionality reduction was performed with Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection analysis, and genetic ancestry was inferred using unsupervised ADMIXTURE models. Most patients (728 of 744; 97.8%) had predominant European (EUR) ancestry, followed by minor representation from admixed American (12 of 744; 1.6%) and East Asian (4 of 744; 0.5%) populations. Moreover, based on ADMIXTURE model ( K  = 5), 96.9% of participants had an estimated EUR ancestry proportion exceeding 80%. Self-reported race and ethnicity demonstrated strong concordance with genetically inferred ancestry, although a small subset of participants exhibited discordant ancestry components. Participants who self-identified as Hispanic exhibited mixed EUR-Admixed American ancestry components. Most patients represented predominant EUR ancestry, with limited representation of non-EUR populations. Integrating ancestry-informed genomic analyses will enhance understanding of melanoma susceptibility, improve prediction of immune-related adverse events, and support the development of tailored immunotherapy strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"189-196"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13254891/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147434126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prognostic capabilities of circulating tumor DNA in predicting relapse in late-stage melanoma: a scoping review.","authors":"Katya Peri, Sana Gupta, Michal Moshkovich, Rebecca Yakubov, Sanaz Lordfard, Edgar-Akuffo Addo, Ilya Mukovozov","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000001086","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":"36 3","pages":"236-238"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147776136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outcomes and prognostic factors in melanoma patients with leptomeningeal disease: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Mohamed A Aboelatta, Ali Rezazadeh, Ugur Sener, William G Breen, Riham Suleiman, Arkadiusz Z Dudek","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001088","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating complication of metastatic melanoma, affecting up to 15% of patients with central nervous system involvement. Despite advances in systemic therapy, LMD carries poor prognosis. Patients with LMD are often excluded from clinical trials. Contemporary real-world data on prognostic factors and treatment outcomes in melanoma LMD are limited. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with leptomeningeal metastasis from melanoma between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2025, across Mayo Clinic sites. LMD diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging showing leptomeningeal enhancement and confirmation from cerebrospinal fluid cytology and clinical presentation. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome data were collected. Overall survival (OS) from LMD diagnosis was the primary endpoint. Forty-four patients were identified (median age: 60.0 years, range: 30.5-82.7). Before diagnosis of LMD, systemic therapy for metastatic disease was given to 91% of patients. BRAF mutations were present in 65.9%. After LMD diagnosis, 88.6% were treated for LMD. Median OS was 2.96 months (95% confidence interval: 1.39-4.53). Poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was independently associated with worse OS (hazard ratio: 2.10, P = 0.036). Any treatment for LMD (hazard ratio: 0.16, P = 0.005) was associated with improved OS. Melanoma-related LMD remains rapidly fatal. Studies of novel treatments are needed to improve outcomes for patients with this diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":"36 3","pages":"203-210"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124253/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147776078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Melanoma risk following fertility treatment in infertile women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Maria Lúcia Brito de Araujo Paysano, Michele Kreuz, Thiago Gorayeb Rebelo, Barbara Antonia Dups Talah, Artur de Oliveira Macena Lôbo, Emanuele Rocha da Silva, Francisco Cezar Aquino de Moraes","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001090","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infertility treatments, particularly ovulation-inducing medications, have raised concerns regarding their potential association with melanoma development. Although theoretical mechanisms suggest that hormonal stimulation during these therapies could influence melanoma risk, current evidence remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis aims to determine whether women undergoing fertility treatments have a higher incidence of melanoma compared with untreated infertile women. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. A random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to estimate the pooled hazard ratios and risk ratios. Statistical analyses were performed using R software (version 4.4.3). A total of eight cohort studies were included, reporting 11 061 cases of melanoma, with follow-up periods ranging from 8.8 to 21 years. The pooled hazard ratio analysis demonstrated a statistically significant modest increase in melanoma risk among women exposed to any fertility treatment compared with untreated controls (hazard ratio: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04-1.29). Clomiphene use showed a nonsignificant trend toward increased risk (hazard ratio: 1.75; 95% CI: 0.93-3.33). Similarly, no significant associations were found for assisted reproductive technology (hazard ratio: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.81-1.36) or gonadotropins (hazard ratio: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.49-2.16). The risk ratio analysis across all fertility treatments also did not demonstrate statistical significance (risk ratio: 1.45; 95% CI: 0.76-2.78). This meta-analysis suggests a modest, statistically significant increase in melanoma risk among infertile women treated with fertility-inducing medications overall. Future large‑scale, prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify the association between fertility treatments and melanoma development.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"158-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147633301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasonographic and histopathological correlation in choroidal melanoma: survival outcomes from a single-center study in Serbia.","authors":"Dolika D Vasović, Dejan M Rašić, Bojana Dačić-Krnjaja, Tanja Kalezić, Jovana Kuzmanović Pfićer, Jelena Simonović, Jelena Vasilijević, Igor Kovačević, Sanja Petrović-Pajić, Ivan Marjanović","doi":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001092","DOIUrl":"10.1097/CMR.0000000000001092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To compare ultrasonographic and histopathological measurements of tumor size in enucleated eyes with choroidal melanoma and to evaluate the prognostic significance of tumor dimensions and morphological characteristics in a Serbian cohort. This retrospective study included 59 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed choroidal melanoma who underwent enucleation at the University Eye Hospital, Clinical Centre of Serbia. All ultrasonographic examinations, surgical procedures, and histopathological assessments were performed by single dedicated subspecialists. Preoperative B-scan ultrasonography was used to measure tumor base diameter and thickness, which were compared with postoperative macroscopic histopathological dimensions using paired statistical tests, Bland-Altman analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Survival outcomes were assessed using Pearson and Spearman correlations and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year, with some monitored for up to 5 years. Data are presented as mean ± SD. The mean ultrasonographic base diameter and thickness were 14.63 ± 3.98 and 10.34 ± 3.54 mm, respectively, compared with 18.04 ± 6.54 and 10.55 ± 3.72 mm on pathology. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated good agreement for tumor thickness (mean difference 0.2 mm; limits of agreement -5.5 to +5.5 mm) and acceptable agreement for base diameter (mean difference 3.4 mm; limits -8.2 to +15.1 mm). ICC indicated moderate agreement for base diameter (0.501) and excellent agreement for thickness (0.843). Pathological thickness correlated significantly with shorter metastasis-free survival ( r = -0.293, P  = 0.024). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly poorer survival for patients with T3-T4 tumors. Ultrasonography provides a reliable preoperative estimation of choroidal melanoma size, particularly for tumor thickness, although histopathology remains essential for prognostication. Survival patterns in this cohort align with international data, highlighting the relevance of tumor thickness and morphology and emphasizing the value of data from an underrepresented region.</p>","PeriodicalId":18550,"journal":{"name":"Melanoma Research","volume":" ","pages":"182-188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147326656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}