[Treatment of stage I malignant melanoma. Open questions and recommendations]

The excision of malignant melanomas is accepted worldwide as a therapy of choice but there are controversies concerning resection margins, prophylactic lymph node dissection, isolated hyperthermic perfusion of extremities and adjuvant therapy in high-risk patients. The relevant literature is analyzed with regard to these aspects, and based on this analysis and our own experiences in more than 3,600 melanoma patients, recommendations for therapy of primary malignant melanomas and follow-up are given.