How serious is lentigo maligna melanoma?

Lentigo maligna is not dangerous; it only becomes potentially life threatening if an invasive melanoma develops within it. Long term follow-up involves reviewing the treated area and full skin examination to identify new lesions of concern. If the lesion was invasive, regional lymph nodes should also be examined.

Is lentigo maligna melanoma cancerous?

Lentigo maligna melanoma is a type of invasive skin cancer. It develops from lentigo maligna, which is sometimes called Hutchinson’s melanotic freckle. Lentigo maligna stays on the outer surface of the skin. When it starts growing beneath the skin’s surface, it becomes lentigo maligna melanoma.

Can lentigo maligna be cured?

Lentigo maligna can be cured with surgery. However, if the whole area is not removed completely with the appropriate surgery, some may develop into an invasive melanoma. It is therefore important to have it removed with a rim of normal skin (an adequate surgical margin).

What is the treatment for lentigo maligna melanoma?

Lentigo maligna is treated with surgery. The standard and preferred treatment is surgical excision. However, various nonsurgical modalities are available to patients in whom surgical therapy is not feasible, including cryotherapy and immune response therapy with topical imiquimod.

What is the difference between lentigo and lentigo maligna?

Lentigo maligna presents as a slowly growing or changing patch of discoloured skin. At first, it often resembles a freckle or benign lentigo. It becomes more distinctive and atypical in time, often growing to several centimetres over several years or even decades.

Is lentigo maligna slow growing?

Lentigo maligna is a type of melanoma in situ. It is a slow growing lesion that appears in areas of skin that get a lot of sun exposure, such as the face or upper body. Because it grows slowly it can take years to develop.

Why is malignant melanoma cancer so dangerous?

Of the three most common skin cancers (basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, & melanoma), melanoma is indeed the most dangerous. The reason is that relatively early on (compared to other skin cancers), cells of a melanoma cancer have a tendency to break away from the tumor in the skin and move into the bloodstream.

What are the stages of malignant melanoma?

– MX: Spread can’t be measured – M0: Cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body – M1: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body

What is the prognosis of malignant melanoma?

almost all people (almost 100%) will survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed; around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis; more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed

Is melanoma in situ the most curable stage?

Treatment: Stage 0 melanoma is removed surgically, with minimal but clear margins. This is sometimes called an excision. Wide local excision, a minor surgery, usually cures local melanoma. Learn more about melanoma treatments here. Prognosis: Stage 0 melanoma, or melanoma in situ, is highly curable.