Prognostic model for stage II melanoma

Tuesday December 15, 2009

According to the authors of this recent study, stage II melanoma currently is managed by observation as a result of the questionable risk-to-benefit ratio of adjuvant therapies and because available clinicopathologic parameters cannot identify the 20% to 60% of such patients likely to develop metastatic disease.

Through their study the authors propose a multimarker molecular prognostic assay that can help triage patients at increased risk of recurrence.
The study involved the evaluation of protein expression for 38 candidates relevant to melanoma oncogenesis using the automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) method for immunofluorescence-based immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from a cohort of 192 primary melanomas collected during 1959 to 1994. The prognostic assay was built using a genetic algorithm and validated on an independent cohort of 246 serial primary melanomas collected from 1997 to 2004.

The authors conclude that the developed multimarker prognostic assay is an independent determinant of melanoma survival that might be beneficial in improving the selection of stage II patients for adjuvant therapy.

Source:  J Clin Oncol.2009; 0: JCO.2009.22.8239v1
http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/reprint/JCO.2009.22.8239v1?"