intravital microscopy for identifying tumor vessels in patients with stage ia-iv melanoma that is being removed by surgery

Conditions: Recurrent Melanoma; Stage IA Skin Melanoma; Stage IB Skin Melanoma; Stage IIA Skin Melanoma; Stage IIB Skin Melanoma; Stage IIC Skin Melanoma; Stage IIIA Skin Melanoma; Stage IIIB Skin Melanoma; Stage IIIC Skin Melanoma; Stage IV Skin Melanoma

Summary: this pilot clinical trial studies intravital microscopy for identifying tumor vessels in patients with stage ia-iv melanoma that is being removed by surgery. new imaging procedures, such as intravital microscopy, may determine the extent of melanoma.

primary objectives: i. to determine the feasibility of performing intravital microscopy on accessible human melanoma tumors during their standard course of treatment (i.e., wide local excision). (part i) secondary objectives: i. to determine the blood flow velocity of the tumor vessels and tissue penetration of fluorescein (fluorescein sodium) as a marker of tumor vessel permeability. (part ii) outline: patients receive fluorescein sodium intravenously (iv) followed by intravital microscopic observation over 10-15 minutes during excision of the melanoma. after completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 3 weeks and then periodically for 5 years.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * have an eastern cooperative oncology group (ecog) performance status of =\< 2 * have measurable disease in their skin by direct visualization (visible lesion typically \> 0.5 cm in maximal diameter); to perform a microscopic observation, the lesion will have to be visible by the naked eye, lined-up visually, and be able to interface with the microscope objective; a melanoma lesion that is smaller than 0.5 cm in diameter would present several obstacles to obtaining a reliable microscopic observation in the operating room; therefore, a visible lesion, at a minimum of 0.5 cm in diameter, is proposed for this study * melanoma tumor that requires a wide local excision in the operating room; this may include any stage of melanoma from stage ia to stage iv that requires a wide excision in the operating room * subject or legal representative must understand the investigational nature of this study and sign an independent ethics committee/institutional review board approved written informed consent form prior to receiving any study related procedure * to determine any sensitivity to fluorescein, subject must have a skin prick test preoperatively (at the time of the preoperative visit and after signed informed consent for entry into this clinical trial is given); a negative skin prick test to fluorescein is an inclusion criteria exclusion criteria: * uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements * melanoma deposit is deemed inaccessible to microscopic observation during the operative procedure (i.e., lesion is less than 0.5 cm or is not clearly visible to the naked eye) * renal dysfunction as defined as a glomerular filtration rate (gfr) \< 70 * any known allergy or prior reaction to fluorescein; also, a positive skin prick test to fluorescein is considered an exclusion criteria and the patient would not be eligible for entry into this study * pregnant or nursing female subjects * unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements * any condition which in the investigator's opinion deems the subject an unsuitable candidate to undergo observational study (may also include preoperative testing results including electrocardiogram \[ekg\], chest x-ray, or pulmonary function tests that preclude a wide excision in the operating room)