Tumor volume: an adjunct prognostic factor in cutaneous melanoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Pathology

Background:

• Established prognostic factors for cutaneous melanoma include Breslow depth, ulceration, mitotic index, lymphovascular invasion, and microsatellites.
• Tumor volume is increasingly recognized as a potential prognostic indicator in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a 250 mm³ tumor volume cutoff, derived from surface area and Breslow depth, as a predictor of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis in cutaneous melanoma.
• To investigate the relevance of tumor volume in both thin and thick invasive melanomas.

Main Methods:

• Tumor volume calculated by multiplying lesion surface area (longest vertical x horizontal measurements) by Breslow depth.
• Utilized pathology database from the institution for a larger sample size analysis.

Main Results:

• A tumor volume cutoff of 250 mm³ shows potential as a predictor for SLN metastasis.
• This metric may be relevant across different melanoma thicknesses.

Conclusions:

• Tumor volume measurement is a potentially valuable adjunct to existing prognostic factors in cutaneous melanoma.
• Further investigation with larger sample sizes supports its role in predicting SLN metastasis.