Revised UK guidelines for melanoma 2010

According to Cancer Research UK, the latest statistics show that 5,697 cases of malignant melanoma were diagnosed in women and 4,975 in men in the UK in 2007. If melanoma is diagnosed early, the survival statistics are very good.

Many guidelines have been drawn up by various groups and professional bodies to promote good standards of care. Last month, the British Journal of Dermatology published revised consensus guidelines for treatment and a brief overview of epidemiology, diagnosis, investigation and follow up.

The guidelines were drawn up by a multidisciplinary working party with representatives from various groups or organisations in the UK. Levels of evidence to support the guidelines are given, but the authors said that care should be individualized wherever appropriate. Where no level of evidence is quoted, it is regarded as a consensus statement, represented level IV.

Summary of the guidelines:

• Melanoma patients who must be referred from the local skin cancer multidisciplinary team to specialist skin cancer multidisciplinary team
• Recommendations for local skin cancer team record keeping of clinical features
• Recommendations for sscreening and surveillance of high-risk individuals
• Requirements for microscopy of melanoma
• Surgical wider excision margins for primary melanoma
• Staging investigations for melanoma
• Recommendations for the management of clinically node-negative patients
• Recommendations for locoregional recurrent melanoma
• Recommendations for metastatic disease
• Pregnancy, oral contraceptives and HRT
• Follow up of melanoma patients

Source:
"Revised U.K. guidelines for the management of cutaneous melanoma 2010". Published in the British Journal of Dermatology, August 2010 Vol. 163, PP.238-256. Free full text