SURGICAL TREATMENT OF HEAD AND NECK CUTANEOUS MELANOMA: A MODERN APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM

Abstract

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor. The incidence of CM is 1–4 % of all cancers and 3–5 % of all malignant neoplasms of the skin. According to different authors, CM is localized in the area of head and neck (H&N) in 22–46 %. Despite revolutionary discoveries in recent years in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, the main treatment option of primary СМ is still surgery. However, the question about the size of surgical margins and tissue sparing excision is still pending, particularly in the area of the head and neck. Despite the possibilities of modern methods of revealing of metastases in lymph nodes (LN), diagnosis of “latent” metastases in LN and further tactics of treatment remains the matter of argument. The purpose of this publication is to review the literature on the current problem in the surgical treatment of СМ of the H&N.This article is the result of analysis of publication devoted to surgical treatment and diagnosis of СМ metastases in the LN of the H&N.

Keywords

• cutaneous melanoma
• head and neck
• overall survival
• surgical margins
• wide excision
• sentinel lymph node