Once invasion occurs, usually appearing clinically as a nodule, treatment and prognosis are no different from other melanomas.
Major progress in defining the molecular alterations associated with the evolution of melanoma came in 2002, through a systematic genome-wide assessment of cancer-associated pathways.
Most metastatic melanoma patients eventually die of brain metastases.
A number of groups are investigating the use of tagged, tumour-specific antibodies and vaccines to melanoma.
In this context, research into the immunopathomechanisms in vitiligo might play an important part in the development of effective therapies for melanoma.
A major issue was the lack of uniformity in the histopathologic nomenclature for early melanoma and related lesions.
Complete removal of spingholipids from the plasma membrane disrupts cell to substratum adhesion of mouse melanoma cells.
Such transplanted melanoma and the resulting clinical metastases cause death in half the recipients.
