Follow-up of primary melanoma patients with high risk of recurrence: recommendations based on evidence and consensus

• Begoña Campos-Balea ^[3] ; Ovidio Fernández-Calvo ^[1] ; Roberto García-Figueiras ^[4] ; Carlos Neira ^[5] ; Carmen Peña-Penabad ^[6] ; Carmela Rodríguez-López ^[7] ; Rocío Vílchez-Simo ^[2] ; María Quindós-Varela ^[8]
  1. [1] Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense

     Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense

     Ourense, España

     
  2. [2] Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ferrol

     Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ferrol

     Ferrol, España

     
  3. [3] Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti de Lugo
  4. [4] Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Imagen Oncológica, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela
  5. [5] Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti de Lugo
  6. [6] Dermatology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña
  7. [7] Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela
  8. [8] Medical Oncology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña

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• Localización: Clinical & translational oncology, ISSN 1699-048X, Vol. 24, Nº. 8, 2022, págs. 1515-1523
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In spite of the good prognosis of patients with early-stage melanoma, there is a substantial proportion of them that develop local or distant relapses. With the introduction of targeted and immune therapies for advanced melanoma, including at the adjuvant setting, early detection of recurrent melanoma and/or second primary lesions is crucial to improve clinical outcomes. However, there is a lack of universal guidelines regarding both frequency of surveillance visits and diagnostic imaging and/or laboratory evaluations. In this article, a multidisciplinary expert panel recommends, after careful review of relevant data in the field, a consensus- and experience-based follow-up strategy for melanoma patients, taking into account prognostic factors and biomarkers and the high-risk periods and patterns of recurrence in each (sub) stage of the disease. Apart from the surveillance intensity, healthcare professionals should focus on patients’ education to perform regular self-examinations of the skin and palpation of lymph nodes.