Clinical Management of Melanoma

Melanoma is a disease entity that has the capability of involving all organ systems of the human body. During the last decade a dramatic increase in the incidence of this disease has been noted. It is surpassed in this dreadful statistic only by carcinoma of the lung. During this time frame, much has been defined and written concerning the histopathology and prognostic fac­ tors of this neoplastic disorder. The relative ease of maintaining this malig­ nant cell in tissue culture has permitted the cellular biologist, tumor immu­ nologist, immunochemist and geneticist an ideal in vitro experimental mod­ el for advancing our understanding of human malignancy. Histopathologic features, prognostic factors, membrane antigenic expression and host-tumor relationship in this disease have all been extensively studied and it has thus become evident that melanoma can and does serve as a prototype for the study of human malignancies in general. Basic scientists including embry­ ologists, immunologists, virologists, immunochemists, geneticists, biostatisti­ cians and cellular biologists, should find this monograph of interest. Bridg­ ing clinical specialists including the pathologist, diagnostic and therapeutic radiologist and epidemiologist will also find areas of interest in these writ­ ings. Because of the fact that melanoma can involve all organ systems, clin­ icians ranging from family practitioners to the subspecialists should become thoroughly familiar with the clinical aspects of this disease, which are fully covered in this book. Locoregional therapIes are discussed in some depth.