Clinical features, molecular pathology, and immune microenvironmental characteristics of acral melanoma

• Published in: Journal of translational medicine Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 367
• Main Authors: Gui, Jianping, Guo, Zhen, Wu, Di
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 16.08.2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Acral melanoma; Biopsy; Clinical features; Clinical outcomes; Copy number; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Disease; Fingers & toes; Gender; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Health aspects; Hispanic people; Humans; Immune microenvironment; Immune system; Immunology; Immunotherapy; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Melanoma; Melanoma - genetics; Melanoma - pathology; Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant; Microenvironments; Minority & ethnic groups; Molecular pathology; Mutation - genetics; Pathology, Molecular; Review; Skin cancer; Skin Neoplasms - genetics; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Trauma; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumors; Ulcers; White people; Womens health; China; Immune microenvironment; Molecular pathology; Clinical features; Acral melanoma
• ISSN: 1479-5876; 1479-5876
• DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03532-2

Acral melanoma (AM) has unique biology as an aggressive subtype of melanoma. It is a common subtype of melanoma in races with darker skin tones usually diagnosed at a later stage, thereby presenting a worse prognosis compared to cutaneous melanoma. The pathogenesis of acral melanoma differs from cutaneous melanoma, and trauma promotes its development. Compared to cutaneous melanomas, acral melanomas have a significantly lighter mutational burden with more copy number variants. Most acral melanomas are classified as triple wild-type. In contrast to cutaneous melanomas, acral melanomas have a suppressive immune microenvironment. Herein, we reviewed the clinical features, genetic variants, and immune microenvironmental characteristics of limbic melanomas to summarise their unique features.