METASTATIC MELANOMA

Course overview

MELANOMA IS THE THIRD MOST COMMON CUTANEOUS MALIGNANCY AFTER BASAL CELL CARCINOMA AND SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA. MELANOMA IS THE FIFTH MOST COMMON MALIGNANCY IN MALES AND THE SIXTH MOST COMMON MALIGNANCY IN FEMALES. WHILE MOST MELANOMAS ARE DETECTED AT AN EARLY STAGE, A PROPORTION OF PATIENTS HAVE METASTATIC DISEASE AT THE TIME OF DIAGNOSIS OR DEVELOP METASTASIS AT A LATER STAGE. THE MOST COMMON SITES OF METASTASIS ARE SKIN AND SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE, FOLLOWED BY LUNGS, LIVER, BONES, AND BRAIN. THE TREATMENT PARADIGM OF METASTATIC MELANOMA HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE ADVENT OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS AND TARGETED THERAPY. THE TREATMENT MODALITIES CURRENTLY USED FOR METASTATIC MELANOMA INCLUDE SURGERY, IMMUNOTHERAPY, TARGETED THERAPY, AND CHEMOTHERAPY. THIS ACTIVITY EXPLAINS WHEN METASTATIC MELANOMA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, ARTICULATES HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THIS CONDITION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.