Melanoma of the head and neck: a review

Melanoma of the head and neck and its treatment are complex issues. The behavior of head and neck melanoma is aggressive, and it has an overall poorer prognosis than that of other skin sites. Current understanding of the behavior of head and neck melanoma is reviewed and treatment strategies are pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of B.U. ON. Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 329
Main Authors Korkolis, D, Liapakis, I E, Gherardini, G, Kokkalis, G, Vassilopoulos, P
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Greece 01.07.2007
Subjects
Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis
Head and Neck Neoplasms - etiology
Head and Neck Neoplasms - therapy
Humans
Melanoma - diagnosis
Melanoma - etiology
Melanoma - therapy
Skin Neoplasms - diagnosis
Skin Neoplasms - etiology
Skin Neoplasms - therapy
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Summary:Melanoma of the head and neck and its treatment are complex issues. The behavior of head and neck melanoma is aggressive, and it has an overall poorer prognosis than that of other skin sites. Current understanding of the behavior of head and neck melanoma is reviewed and treatment strategies are presented. Controversies in treatment include the role of lymphoscintigraphy with sentinel node biopsy, nodal dissection, margin size, role of radiation therapy, and reconstruction. The therapeutic goal is to treat melanoma aggressively while minimizing the effects of treatment on patient's quality of life. Due to its biological behavior, head and neck melanoma should be treated in an aggressive manner when morbidity is not significantly increased. Patient's specific treatment is imperative.
ISSN:1107-0625