Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Predisposed to Aggressive Melanoma

“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,” the dermatologist said.

He declared having no financial conflicts, noting that his research on lymphoma-related skin cancer has been funded mainly by the Dermatology Foundation.