Ulcerated Cutaneous Melanoma: A Review of the Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Features Associated with a Clinically Aggressive Histologic Phenotype.

ABSTRACT: The presence of ulceration in melanoma is associated with poor clinical outcomes and is the third most powerful predictor of survival in the AJCC Melanoma Staging System after tumor thickness and mitotic activity. The aggressive biological behavior associated with ulceration has been hypothesized to be the result of an intrinsic biological attribute that favors dissemination and presents locally with the loss of epidermal integrity. Among the features of ulcerated melanoma, many show promise as potential prognostic tools, markers of differential immunogenicity and indicators of oncogenic drivers of invasion and metastasis. The incidence of ulcerated melanoma is greater in males, increases with age and with systemic inflammatory risk factors (diabetes, smoking, low vitamin D, elevated body

SUBMITTER: Barricklow Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9440663 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature