EADV: Leukemia Patients Predisposed to Aggressive Melanoma
FROM THE ANNUAL CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
"Maybe that’s something we should consider using in patients with CLL," Dr. Brewer observed.
He argued that a high degree of suspicion is warranted regarding potential tumor recurrence in melanoma patients with a history of CLL. This may warrant more frequent follow-up, a low threshold for biopsy of suspicious lesions, and perhaps a lower bar for adjuvant chemotherapy.
"Perhaps we should consider doing a sentinel lymph node biopsy more often in thinner melanomas in patients with prior CLL. If they have a higher chance of metastasis, then maybe they have a higher chance of sentinel node involvement with thinner melanomas. There is [a lot] of speculation at this point, a lot more questions than answers," he said.
He declared having no financial conflicts, noting that his research on lymphoma-related skin cancer has been funded mainly by the Dermatology Foundation.
