1.Amelanotic melanoma was typically diagnosed at a later AJCC tumor stage than pigmented melanoma.
2. After having accounted for Breslow depth, amelanotic melanoma was independently associated with histologic features that were suggestive of increased growth rate.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a widely expressed cytokine involved in a variety of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation and the control of proliferation. Overexpression of MIF has been reported in a number of cancer types and it has previously been shown that MIF is upregulated in melanocytic tumours with the highest expression levels occurring in malignant melanoma.
Study Rundown: Mitotic rate, a marker of cell proliferation, has been previously associated with decreased disease-free survival in patients with melanoma. However, its clinicopathologic associations have not been well established. The authors of this study sought to identify characteristics associated with high mitotic rate melanoma, with the ultimate objective to aid earlier detection of these aggressive tumors. High mitotic rate melanoma was clinically associated with a distinct phenotype including rapidly growing lesions, amelanosis, age ?70, male gender and location on the head and neck. Low mitotic rate was associated with family history of melanoma and history of blistering sunburns.
A number of large pharmaceutical companies have forged clinical trial collaborations focused on the investigation of novel combinations and companion diagnostics across multiple cancer indications, according to several statements released in the past month.
