‘Simple model’ helps identify melanoma recurrence
Source: Healio, September 2024
Key takeaways:
- Appetite change, tiredness, lymph node enlargement, abdominal pain and shortness of breath were common with melanoma recurrence.
- Researchers suggest using the acronym ATLAS to evaluate these symptoms.
A “simple model” known as ATLAS can help physicians detect recurrent cutaneous melanoma through symptom review, according to researchers.
“Although the incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) has increased over recent decades, advancements in systemic treatments, including both targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have improved overall survival and stabilized mortality,” Emily Everdell, MD, of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote. “Current guidelines for the surveillance of patients with a history of CM, as detailed by both the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Joint Committee on Cancer, are vague regarding frequency and intensity of follow-up visits as well as appropriate diagnostic strategies to optimize detection of recurrence while also considering cost-efficiency and morbidity related to false-positive screenings.”