PRIMARY CUTANEOUS POLYPOIDAL NON-STAGEABLE MELANOMAS IN QUEENSLAND?

Abstract

Patients who develop a polypoidal melanoma which does not appear to invade the reticular dermis have a poor prognosis. Thirty three or 2-1% of 1607 patients treated for melanoma, in Queensland (1963–1969) had a polypoidal non-stageable melanoma. Twenty two patients were men. Four patients (12% of the thirty three) developed a second melanoma. Of the, thirty three patients, twenty one [sixteen men, five women) died from melanoma within jour years of the initial treatment. One man was lost to follow-up after fourteen months. Another man died eleven years after treatment. The ten patients [jour men, six women) surviving have been followed for a mean time of 113 months [86—133) and were reported free of melanoma at their last check-up. It is preferable to excise polypoidal skin lesions which look like atypical telangiectatic granulomas (pyogenic granulomas) or other unusual-looking benign pedunculated skin tumours rather than to treat by curettage so that adequate material is available for histological examination.