Melanoma
Survival of Patients with Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results of a Prospective Cohort Study
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is an increasing health burden in white populations. We prospectively assessed risk factors for tumor-specific and overall survival in 1,434 patients who underwent surgery for cSCC between January 24, 2005, and May 29, 2015. A total of 2,149 invasive cSCCs were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses included tumor thickness, horizontal size, body site, histological differentiation, desmoplastic growth, history of multiple cSCCs, and immunosuppression.Serial or Parallel Metastasis of Cutaneous Melanoma? A Study of the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry
For more than a century the Halstedian hypothesis of contiguous metastasis from the primary tumor through the lymphatics to distant sites shaped lymph node surgery for melanoma. We challenge this dogma of serial metastatic dissemination. A single-center series of 2,299 patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma was investigated to analyze overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival of stage IV patients with or without primary lymphatic metastasis. Results were then compared with those of 2,134 patients from three independent centers of the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry.Association between Body Mass Index, C-Reactive Protein Levels, and Melanoma Patient Outcomes
Obesity is a known risk factor for cancer development (Arnold et al., 2016; Basen-Engquist and Chang, 2011; Renehan et al., 2015) and death (Calle et al., 2003). Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of developing melanoma in men (Sergentanis et al., 2013) and with thicker primary melanomas (Skowron et al., 2015). The inflammatory adipokine leptin promotes melanoma progression in mice (Amjadi et al., 2011; Brandon et al., 2009; Gogas et al., 2008); elevated leptin levels may predict melanoma sentinel node metastasis (Oba et al., 2016).Cigarette Smoking and the Risks of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Sunlight is the principal environmental risk factor for keratinocyte cancers, but other carcinogens have also been implicated, including tobacco smoke. Findings have been conflicting, however. We investigated associations between cigarette smoking and incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in QSkin, a prospective study of skin cancer (N = 43,794). Smoking history was self-reported at baseline; newly diagnosed BCCs and SCCs were ascertained through data linkage and verified by histopathology reports.Ten-Year Survival after Multiple Invasive Melanomas Is Worse than after a Single Melanoma: a Population-Based Study
The prognosis of melanoma patients who are diagnosed with multiple primary lesions remains controversial. We used a large population-based cohort to re-examine this issue, applying a delayed entry methodology to avoid survival bias. Of 32,238 eligible patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2008, 29,908 (93%) had a single invasive melanoma, 2,075 (6%) had two, and 255 (1%) had three. Allowing for differences in entry time, 10-year cause-specific survival for these three groups was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 88–90%), 83% (95% CI = 80–86%), and 67% (95% CI = 54–81%), respectively.Serum miR-16: A Potential Biomarker for Predicting Melanoma Prognosis
Melanoma is among the most malignant cancers with notorious aggressiveness, and its prognosis is greatly influenced by progression status. Serum microRNAs are small noncoding RNAs with high stability and easy accessibility in human blood. Their expression profiles are frequently dysregulated in cancers; hence, levels of serum microRNAs may reflect progression status and thus predict melanoma prognosis. In a hospital based case-control study, we found a significant reduction of serum miR-16 level in melanoma patients compared with cancer-free controls (P < 0.001).
