Thicker lesions may deserve more radical surgery and sentinel node biopsy. Lentigo maligna melanoma and lentigo maligna are usually treated with wide local excision and, if necessary, skin grafting. Intensive x-ray therapy is much less effective than surgery. Spreading or nodular melanomas are usually treated by wide local excision extending down to the fascia. Therapeutic lymph node dissection may be recommended when there is node involvement.
Prognosis is poor.
Cisplatin and other drugs are currently under study. Vaccines using melanoma antigen are being studied for possible therapy. All rights reserved.