VIDEO: Rational strategy necessary for clinical follow-up in melanoma

Source: Healio.com, March 2016

NEW YORK — Merrick I. Ross, MD, professor in the department of surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offered recommendations for clinical follow-up of patients with melanoma during a presentation at HemOnc Today Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancies.

“It’s a very important part of our clinical practice,” Ross said. “I think it’s important to review what we do all of the time to see if we’re actually benefitting patients, particularly in the context of what is cost-effective. A lot of our surveillance maneuvers can be very expensive, particularly when we start doing routine imaging.”

Ross discussed how recurrence risk and timing vary according to disease stage, and suggested a better understanding of contemporary stage IV patients is necessary.