Primary melanoma of the skin: recognition and management

Primary melanoma of the skin, once a rare tumor, has been increasing so rapidly in the past few decades that melanoma now has a higher incidence than Hodgkin's disease. The early diagnosis and surgical treatment of melanoma are the only approach to date that has increased survival--chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy provide little or no benefit. Therefore, all physicians need to be on the alert for early melanoma. This guide is intended to provide the physician both with the tools to diagnose cutaneous melanoma and a suggested approach to its management. It is hoped that as this type of information becomes more widely disseminated, a continued improvement in early recognition and survival will be effected.