Ultrasound findings of proliferative nodule arising in a congenital melanocytic nevus
No abstract available (Source: Melanoma Research)
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: research
An atypical sarcoid-like reaction during anti-protein death 1 treatment in a patient with metastatic melanoma
We report a case of anti-protein death 1-induced sarcoid-like reaction in a 63-year-old Caucasian male who was diagnosed with stage IV-M1a melanoma. He was initially treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy (Q3W) and had a complete response after 14 cycles. However, relapse was suspected 3 months later with appearance of hilar, mediastinal and hepatic hilar lymph nodes as well as a skin lesion. Biopsy of both the hilar lymph nodes and the skin lesion demonstrated sarcomatoid granulomatosis. Pembrolizumab was discontinued temporarily. While on 18F-FDG-PET/CT, all sarcoid-like lesions regressed in size and activity, a new hype...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Short Communications Source Type: research
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in advanced melanoma treated with dabrafenib and trametinib combination: two cases
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) has been only rarely reported in patients with BRAF-mutated advanced melanoma treated with targeted therapies and never with first-line dabrafenib/trametinib combination thus far. Two patients treated with first-line dabrafenib and trametinib combination therapy for metastatic melanoma presented with sudden occurrence of fever, cytopenia, rhabdomyolysis, hepatic cytolysis, hypertriglyceridemia and very high ferritin levels after few weeks of treatment, associated with concomitant epstein-barr virus (EBV) reactivation in one patient. In both cases, drug-induced HLH was primarily cons...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Short Communications Source Type: research
Mycosis fungoides development after combined immune checkpoint blockade therapy in a patient with malignant melanoma: a case report
Immune checkpoint blockade therapy can induce immune-related toxicity, but cutaneous lymphoma development has not been reported. A 56-year-old woman presented with two well-demarcated erythematous macules on the right sole and vitiligo on her extremities. Her facial melanoma had been treated with combination therapy (ipilimumab and pembrolizumab), followed by pembrolizumab monotherapy, a year prior. Microscopy revealed small-to-medium-sized lymphocytes permeating along with the basal epidermal layer. These were immuno-positive for CD2, CD3, and CD5, and showed complete CD7 loss; CD30, TCR-beta F1, and PD-1 were also detect...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Short Communications Source Type: research
The role of MC1R gene variants and phenotypical features in predicting high nevus count
Variants in the Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) gene have been associated with an increased risk of melanoma, but the role in nevus count is unclear. We investigated if specific MC1R gene variants or the number of MC1R gene variants and phenotypical features were associated with nevus count. A total of 494 participants of the ‘Leiden skin cancer study’ were included and the MC1R gene coding sequence was analysed by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis followed by sequencing of unknown variants. The association between MC1R gene variants and nevus count and the association between age, gender and phenotypical...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Short Communications Source Type: research
MC1R variants and cutaneous melanoma risk according to histological type, body site, and Breslow thickness: a pooled analysis from the M-SKIP project
Little is known on whether melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) associated cutaneous melanoma (CM) risk varies depending on histological subtype and body site, and whether tumour thickness at diagnosis (the most important prognostic factor for CM patients) differs between MC1R variant carriers and wild-type individuals. We studied the association between MC1R variants and CM risk by histological subtype, body site, and Breslow thickness, using the database of the M-SKIP project. We pooled individual data from 15 case-control studies conducted during 2005–2015 in Europe and the USA. Study-specific, multi-adjusted odds ratios we...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Epidemiology of Melanoma Source Type: research
Preliminary analysis of distinct clinical and biologic features of bone metastases in melanoma
Melanoma disseminates to the skeletal system where it is then difficult to treat. Yet, there remains limited research investigating metastatic bone disease (MBD) in melanoma. Here, we evaluate whether there are distinct clinicopathologic variables at the time of primary melanoma diagnosis that predispose metastases to engraft bone, and we test the hypothesis that patients with MBD have different responses to treatment. Cutaneous melanoma patients enrolled in a prospective database were studied. Individuals with metastatic melanoma and bone metastases (M-Bone) were compared to those with metastatic disease but no M-Bone. Of...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Clinical Research Source Type: research
Concomitant development of neurologic and cardiac immune-related adverse effects in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for melanoma
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have altered the prognosis of patients with melanoma over the past few years, with immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) being the only factor limiting their use. Neurologic and cardiac irAEs are rare, but usually severe. We reviewed the files of patients with melanoma treated with ICIs in one center to retrieve data from patients with neurologic irAEs. Patients with a combination of neurologic and cardiac manifestations were further analyzed. We also reviewed the literature for similar syndromes. Five out of 482 (1.01%) patients developed a neurologic syndrome and we present three patie...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Clinical Research Source Type: research
Loss of skeletal muscle area and fat-free mass during dabrafenib/trametinib and vemurafenib/cobimetinib treatments in patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic malignant melanoma
This study aimed to assess whether dabrafenib/trametinib and vemurafenib/cobimetinib treatments are associated with a change in skeletal muscle area (SMA) and total fat-free mass (FFM) assessed by computed tomography (CT), and to compare the efficacy and safety profile of these treatments in patients with metastatic melanoma. Thirty-one patients treated with B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase/MAPK extracellular receptor kinase inhibitors were included between 2016 and 2019. Eighteen patients received dabrafenib/trametinib and remaining patients received vemurafenib/cobimetinib. CT scans were performed at baselin...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Clinical Research Source Type: research
Survival estimation of melanoma patients with brain metastasis using the Melanoma-molGPA score: external validation from a French cohort
While immunotherapies and targeted therapies such as BRAF inhibitors have improved the prognosis, BM is still associated with poor outcome and a short survival. Metastatic melanoma patients are a heterogeneous subgroup with variable prognosis. As several prospective clinical trials have addressed the question of optimal therapy for these patients, an accurate validated selection tool is needed. Melanoma molecular graded prognostic assessment (Melanoma-molGPA) is a new prognostic score for BM melanoma patients. We decided to perform an external validation of this score. All consecutive patients treated between May 2014 and ...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Clinical Research Source Type: research
BRAF and MEK inhibitors rechallenge as effective treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma
Despite considerable progress made in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma, the majority of the patients treated with BRAF and mitogen-activated protein inhibitors (BRAFi and MEKi) experience a disease progression due to acquired resistance. Currently, ongoing studies explore the possibility to overcome or reverse this process. Our multicenter retrospective analysis included 51 patients with metastatic BRAF-mutated melanoma who had previously progressed on BRAFi/MEKi than had progressed on immunotherapy (anti-progression disease-1 or anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4) and next were rechallenged w...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Clinical Research Source Type: research
Tissue microRNA expression profiling in hepatic and pulmonary metastatic melanoma
Malignant melanoma has a propensity for the development of hepatic and pulmonary metastases. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules containing about 22 nucleotides that mediate protein expression and can contribute to cancer progression. We aim to identify clinically useful differences in miR expression in metastatic melanoma tissue. RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of hepatic and pulmonary metastatic melanoma, benign, nevi, and primary cutaneous melanoma. Assessment of miR expression was performed on purified RNA using the NanoString nCounter miRNA assay. miRs with greater than...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Translational Research Source Type: research
Silencing of CEBPB-AS1 modulates CEBPB expression and resensitizes BRAF-inhibitor resistant melanoma cells to vemurafenib
Introduction of targeted therapy in the treatment of metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has improved clinical outcome during the last years. However, only in a subset of the CMM patients, this will lead to long-term effects. CEBPB is a transcription factor that has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, including cancer development. We have investigated its prognostic impact on CMM and unexpectedly found that higher CEBPB mRNA levels correlated with a longer overall survival. Furthermore, in a small cohort of patients with metastatic CMM treated with BRAF-inhibitors, higher levels o...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Basic Science Source Type: research
Vascular endothelial growth factor/semaphorin-3A ratio and SEMA3A expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma
Breslow thickness and Clark level are still important factors for cutaneous melanoma, but do not provide a precise prognosis in all cases. It is necessary to find new factors capable of a more accurate prediction of the tumor course. Angiogenesis is essential for tumor development and progression and is regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and semaphorins (SEMA), in particular, SEMA3A inhibits angiogenesis by affecting VEGF signaling. However, the prognostic role of angiogenetic factors remains unclear. To date, no information is available on SEMA3A in human melanoma. Microvessel density, immunohistoc...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Original Articles: Basic Science Source Type: research
Desmoplastic melanoma: an updated clinical review and the emerging role of genetic markers and immunotherapies
Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a rare and histopathologically as well as prognostically distinct subset of melanoma that arises in chronically sun-damaged skin. DM is typically and relatively indolent in nature with most cases not progressing to metastatic disease. DM has been managed with both radiation and surgical approaches. Medical options for the treatment of metastatic DM have traditionally been limited. Recent advances in immunotherapies have shown promising responses in DM ushering in a new class of treatment options. Additionally, with the advent of whole exome sequencing, the genetic make-up of DM has been furthe...
Source: Melanoma Research - September 8, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Review Article Source Type: research
