A Work Group for the American Academy of Dermatology released earlier this month new “Guidelines of Care for the Management of Primary Cutaneous Melanoma,” that include input from work group member Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, as co-author.
Dr. Curiel-Lewandrowski is a professor of medicine in the UA Division of Dermatology, director of the Cutaneous Oncology Program and Pigmented Lesion Clinic at the UA Skin Cancer Institute, and a UA Cancer Center member. The division is one of 14 in the UA Department of Medicine, one of six original and the largest department in the college with more than 250 faculty members.
At right, Melanoma (Courtesy of NIH/National Cancer Institute via Wikipedia)
“This is a document prepared by thought leaders in the U.S. to guide the management of melanoma nationwide,” Dr. Curiel said. “It took two-plus years to generate this guiding document that aims to standardize the approach to melanoma patients based on strict review of evidence. For me, it was a true honor to be part of this group of leaders in the field of skin cancer. The thousands of patient across the country will be the ones benefitting from this effort.”
A few members, she noted, also participate in the Melanoma Committee for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), which released it’s 2018 NCCN Melanoma Guidelines for Patients in January.
The new AAD Melanoma Work Group guidelines were released Nov. 6 in JAAD, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. They’re available here: https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(18)32588-X/fulltext
The work group was led by:
- Susan Swetter, MD, is professor of dermatology and director of the Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma Program and Cutaneous Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, and assistant chief of the Dermatology Service in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and
- Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD, is the clinical director of the Melanoma & Pigmented Lesion Center, director of the Melanoma Genetics Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
EXTRA INFO
“PODCAST: Interpreting the New AAD Melanoma Guidelines” | Nov. 21, 2018 – Listen to Consultant360 Assistant Editor Christina Vogt discuss takeaways from the new guidance with Stanford University’s Susan Swetter, MD, and Harvard/Mass General’s Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD, Chair and Co-Chair of the Work Group that developed them for the American Academy of Dermatology.
In the JAAD article, the authors note that the incidence of primary cutaneous melanoma continues to increase each year:
“Melanoma accounts for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths, but treatment is usually curative following early detection of disease. Biopsy techniques for a lesion that is clinically suggestive of melanoma are reviewed, as are recommendations for the histopathologic interpretation of cutaneous melanoma. The use of laboratory, molecular, and imaging tests is examined in the initial work-up of patients with newly diagnosed melanoma and for follow-up of asymptomatic patients.
“With regard to treatment of primary cutaneous melanoma, recommendations for surgical margins and the concepts of staged excision (including Mohs micrographic surgery) and nonsurgical treatments for melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type—including topical imiquimod (anti-tumor medication) and radiation therapy—are updated.
“The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy as a staging technique for cutaneous melanoma is described, with recommendations for its use in clinical practice. Finally, current data regarding pregnancy and melanoma, genetic testing for familial melanoma, and management of dermatologic toxicities related to novel targeted agents and immunotherapies for patients with advanced disease are summarized.”
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“Journal of American Medical Association Article Focuses on Melanoma with UA Input” | Posted Oct. 15, 2018
“Clara Curiel, MD, Wins Recognition as 2018 Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year” | Posted Sept. 19, 2018
“Dr. Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski Named Winner of AZBIO Researcher of the Year Award” | Posted Aug. 24, 2018