The surgical treatment of primary melanoma

Local control is paramount to the clinical management of melanoma. A general consensus has been reached regarding the surgical treatment of primary malignant melanoma. By means of well-designed, multi-institutional, prospective, and randomized trials, the margins of excising the primary melanoma have been reduced considerably since the initial guidelines set out by W. S. Handley in 1907. The margins of excision now recommended are designed to limit the risk of local recurrence with its potential effect on survival and achieve the optimal cosmetic outcome. These margins are modified according to particular anatomic site constraints.