Immunosuppression, older age linked to higher risk for aggressive melanoma

Source: Healio.com/dermatology, August 2015

Researchers found that older patients and patients with immunosuppression are at higher risk for aggressive melanoma, according to recent research.

“Older patients and patients with immunosuppression are at particularly high risk for aggressive disease and would greatly benefit from close clinical surveillance and imaging studies to detect early metastasis,” Tracy Donahue, MD, and colleagues wrote.

Donahue and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 141 patients with cutaneous melanoma with a minimum of 5 years follow-up or documented metastases. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they had an aggressive or nonaggressive form of melanoma. The researchers then reviewed each patient’s medical record to determine melanoma location, gender, and age as well as presence of ABCDE criteria, immunosuppression, history of dysplastic nevus syndrome, solid organ cancer, blistering sunburn and outdoor tanning activity or tanning bed use.

A history of dysplastic nevus syndrome and ABCDE were significantly associated with nonaggressive melanoma, the researchers found. They noted that age and immunosuppression were significantly associated with aggressive melanoma, even when controlling for significantly associated histologic variables identified by the American Joint Committee on Cancer.

Disclosure: Donahue reports no relevant disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ disclosures.