Abstract
This contemporary review of melanoma surveillance strategies seeks to help practitioners examine and improve their surveillance protocols based on the currently available data. In general, there is no definitive benefit from increased screening or more aggressive use of interval imaging. Low-intensity surveillance strategies do not appear to adversely affect patient outcomes and should be the preferred approach compared with high-intensity strategies for most melanoma patients. All surveillance programs should emphasize education in order to maximize the effectiveness of patient-based detection of recurrent disease.
Reference
Siegel R, Naishadham D, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2013. CA Cancer J Clin. 2013;63:11–30.
Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Garshell J, Neyman N, Altekruse SF, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2010, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2010/, based on November 2012 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER website, April 2013.
Ferrone CR, Ben Porat L, Panageas KS, Berwick M, Halpern AC, Patel A, et al. Clinicopathological features of and risk factors for multiple primary melanomas. JAMA. 2005;294:1647–54.
Coit DG, Andtbacka R, Anker CJ, Bichakjian CK, Carson WE 3rd, Daud A, et al. Melanoma, version 2.2013: featured updates to the NCCN guidelines. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2013;11:395–407.
Dong XD, Tyler D, Johnson JL, DeMatos P, Seigler HF. Analysis of prognosis and disease progression after local recurrence of melanoma. Cancer. 2000;88:1063–71.
Francken A, Bastiaannet E, Hoekstra H. Follow-up in patients with localised primary cutaneous melanoma. Lancet Oncol. 2005;6:608–21.
Meier F, Will S, Ellwanger U, Schlagenhauff B, Schittek B, Rassner G, et al. Metastatic pathways and time courses in the orderly progression of cutaneous melanoma. Br J Dermatol. 2002;147:62–70.
Bowles TL, Xing Y, Hu CY, Mungovan KS, Askew RL, Chang GJ, et al. Conditional survival estimates improve over 5 years for melanoma survivors with node-positive disease. Ann Surg Oncol. 2010;17:2015–23.
Tsao H, Cosimi AB, Sober AJ. Ultra-late recurrence (15 years or longer) of cutaneous melanoma. Cancer. 1997;79:2361–70.
Poo-Hwu WJ, Ariyan S, Lamb L, Papac R, Zelterman D, Hu GL, et al. Follow-up recommendations for patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer Stages I-III malignant melanoma. Cancer. 1999;86:2252–8.
Garbe C, Paul A, Kohler-Späth H, Ellwanger U, Stroebel W, Schwarz M. Prospective evaluation of a follow-up schedule in cutaneous melanoma patients: recommendations for an effective follow-up strategy. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:520–9.
Romano E, Scordo M, Dusza SW, Coit DG, Chapman PB. Site and timing of first relapse in stage III melanoma patients: implications for follow-up guidelines. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28:3042–7.
Francken AB, Shaw HM, Accortt NA, Soong SJ, Hoekstra HJ, Thompson JF. Detection of first relapse in cutaneous melanoma patients: implications for the formulation of evidence-based follow-up guidelines. Ann Surg Oncol. 2007;14:1924–33.
Baughan CA, Hall VL, Leppard BJ, Perkins PJ. Follow-up in stage I cutaneous malignant melanoma: an audit. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 1993;5:174–80.
Einwachter-Thompson J, MacKie RM. An evidence base for reconsidering current follow-up guidelines for patients with cutaneous melanoma less than 0.5 mm thick at diagnosis. Br J Dermatol. 2008;159:337–41.
Turner RM, Bell KJ, Morton RL, Hayen A, Francken AB, Howard K, et al. Optimizing the frequency of follow-up visits for patients treated for localized primary cutaneous melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29:4641–6.
Mooney MM, Mettlin C, Michalek AM, Petrelli NJ, Kraybill WG. Life-long screening of patients with intermediate-thickness cutaneous melanoma for asymptomatic pulmonary recurrences: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Cancer. 1997;80:1052–64.
Leiter U, Marghoob AA, Lasithiotakis K, Eigentler TK, Meier F, Meisner C, et al. Costs of the detection of metastases and follow-up examinations in cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2009;19:50–7.
Morton RL, Craig JC, Thompson JF. The role of surveillance chest x-rays in the follow-up of high-risk melanoma patients. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009;16:571–7.
Xing Y, Bronstein Y, Ross MI, Askew RL, Lee JE, Gershenwald JE, et al. Contemporary diagnostic imaging modalities for the staging and surveillance of melanoma patients: a meta-analysis. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011;103:129–42.
Basseres N, Grob JJ, Richard MA, Thirion X, Zarour H, Noe C, et al. Cost-effectiveness of surveillance of stage I melanoma. A retrospective appraisal based on a 10-year experience in a dermatology department in France. Dermatology. 1995;191:199–203.
Shumate CR, Urist MM, Maddox WA. Melanoma recurrence surveillance. Patient or physician based? Ann Surg. 1995;221:566–9 (discussion 569–71).
Weiss M, Loprinzi CL, Creagan ET, Dalton RJ, Novotny P, O’Fallon JR. Utility of follow-up tests for detecting recurrent disease in patients with malignant melanomas. JAMA. 1995;274:1703–5.
Moloney DM, Gordon DJ, Briggs JC, Rigby HS. Recurrence of thin melanoma: how effective is follow-up? Br J Plast Surg. 1996;49:409–13.
Sylaidis P, Gordon D, Rigby H, Kenealy J. Follow-up requirements for thick cutaneous melanoma. Br J Plast Surg. 1997;50:349–53.
Mooney MM, Kulas M, McKinley B, Michalek AM, Kraybill WG. Impact on survival by method of recurrence detection in stage I and II cutaneous melanoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 1998;5:54–63.
Dicker TJ, Kavanagh GM, Herd RM, Ahmad T, McLaren KM, Chetty U, et al. A rational approach to melanoma follow-up in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma. Scottish Melanoma Group. Br J Dermatol. 1999;140:249–54.
Johnson RC, Fenn NJ, Horgan K, Mansel RE. Follow-up of patients with a thin melanoma. Br J Surg. 1999;86:619–21.
Kittler H, Weitzdorfer R, Pehamberger H, Wolff K, Binder M. Compliance with follow-up and prognosis among patients with thin melanomas. Eur J Cancer. 2001;37:1504–9.
Hofmann U, Szedlak M, Rittgen W, Jung EG, Schadendorf D. Primary staging and follow-up in melanoma patients: monocenter evaluation of methods, costs and patient survival. Br J Cancer. 2002;87:151–7.
Kalady MF, White RR, Johnson JL, Tyler DS, Seigler HF. Thin melanomas: predictive lethal characteristics from a 30-year clinical experience. Ann Surg. 2003;238:528–35 (discussion 535–7).
Schmid-Wendtner MH, Baumert J, Eberle J, Plewig G, Volkenandt M, Sander CA. Disease progression in patients with thin cutaneous melanomas (tumour thickness < or = 0.75 mm): clinical and epidemiological data from the Tumour Center Munich 1977–98. Br J Dermatol. 2003;149:788–93.
Francken AB, Accortt NA, Shaw HM, Colman MH, Wiener M, Soong SJ, et al. Follow-up schedules after treatment for malignant melanoma. Br J Surg. 2008;95:1401–7.
Moore Dalal K, Zhou Q, Panageas KS, Brady MS, Jaques DP, Coit DG, et al. Methods of detection of first recurrence in patients with stage I/II primary cutaneous melanoma after sentinel lymph node biopsy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2008;15:2206–14.
Meyers MO, Yeh JJ, Frank J, Long P, Deal AM, Amos KD, et al. Method of detection of initial recurrence of stage II/III cutaneous melanoma: analysis of the utility of follow-up staging. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009;16:941–7.
Disclosure
The authors of this work have no conflicts of interest pertaining to this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scally, C.P., Wong, S.L. Intensity of Follow-Up After Melanoma Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol 21, 752–757 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-013-3295-9
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-013-3295-9