SURGICAL TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS MELANOMA- TO DO AND NOT TO DO
Abstract:
Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive tumour, responsible for over 9000 deaths in 2015. It is
the second most diagnosed cancer among young patients, under 30 years old. Despite the significant
progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma in the last decade, the incidence is still
increasing. For this reason, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of the primary tumour remains the
best strategy for improving patient survival. For Romania, we add another important reason, that of
limited therapeutic options for advanced melanoma. Until November 2015, Dacarbazine was the only
chemotherapeutic agent available in our country for patients with metastatic melanoma, despite its
reduced efficacy. In this article, surgical treatment of primary and secondary melanoma is revised and a
few melanoma cases are presented, special situations that can occur in current practice, in order to
raise awareness and minimize errors in the therapeutic approach of melanoma.
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