The Yale Melanoma Unit was developed more than 20 years ago by Dr. Ariyan for the comprehensive management of this malignancy. This includes the screening of high risk patients and their families, the biopsies of suspected lesions, counseling of the patients and their families, as well as the full scope of surgical procedures indicated for the management of the various stages of the disease. For those patients who have developed in-transit recurrences of their arms and legs, limb perfusion with high doses of chemotherapy have been used to salvage the arms and legs, and restore the patients to functional use of these extremities. There has been a long-standing collaboration with the dermatologists throughout the state for the comprehensive care of the difficult cases. Dr. Ariyan participates in the Yale Melanoma Unit conferences on a weekly basis to provide the latest adjuvant treatments that have been shown to be effective.
Emphasis is placed on cost-effective treatments, counseling, and prevention.