Primary management of cutaneous melanoma: excision and sentinel node biopsy

During the last decade, the treatment of primary cutaneous melanoma has considerably changed. The aggressive behaviour of this disease stimulated surgeons to perform extensive resections and manage the regional nodes in a radical way. However, numerous studies indicate that a less aggressive treatment with lesser cosmetic and functional injury is associated with a similar outcome. There is no doubt that the quality of life will be significantly improved by using narrower excision margins and by further refinements of the sentinel node technique.