Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Autoimmune antibodies and recurrence-free interval in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon.

Bouwhuis MG, Suciu S, Collette S, Aamdal S, Kruit WH, Bastholt L, Stierner U, Salès F, Patel P, Punt CJ, Hernberg M, Spatz A, ten Hagen TL, Hansson J, Eggermont AM,

Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus University MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, 301 Groene Hilledijk, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Appearance of autoantibodies and clinical manifestations of autoimmunity in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon (IFN)-alpha2b was reported to be associated with improved prognosis. We assessed the association of the appearance of autoantibodies after initiation of treatment with recurrence-free interval in two randomized trials that compared intermediate doses of IFN with observation for the treatment of melanoma patients. METHODS: Serum levels of anticardiolipin, antithyroglobulin, and antinuclear antibodies were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 187 and 356 patients in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 18952 and Nordic IFN trials, respectively, immediately before and up to 3 years after random assignment. The association of the presence of at least one of the three autoantibodies with risk of recurrence was assessed by three Cox models in patients negative for all three autoantibodies at baseline (125 from the EORTC 18952 trial and 230 from the Nordic IFN trial): 1) a model that considered appearance of autoantibodies as a time-independent variable, 2) one that considered a patient autoantibody positive once a positive test for an autoantibody was obtained, and 3) a model in which the status of the patient was defined by the most recent autoantibody test. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: When treated as a time-independent variable (model 1), appearance of autoantibodies was associated with improved relapse-free interval in both trials (EORTC 18952, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.25 to 0.68, P < .001; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.76, P < .001). However, on correction for guarantee-time bias, the association was weaker and not statistically significant (model 2: EORTC 18952, HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.46 to 1.40, P = .44; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.55 to 1.30, P = .45; model 3: EORTC 18952, HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.59 to 1.87, P = .88; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.49 to 1.24, P = .30). CONCLUSIONS: In two randomized trials of IFN for the treatment of melanoma patients, appearance of autoantibodies was not strongly associated with improved relapse-free interval when correction was made for guarantee-time bias.

Published 17 June 2009 in J Natl Cancer Inst, 101(12): 869-77.
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Articles on Skin Cancer published 29 May 2009:

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor and fibronectin predict clinical response to high-dose interleukin-2 therapy.   J Clin Oncol, 27(16): 2645-52.

PURPOSE: High-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces durable therapeutic responses in a small subset of patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, but simple pretreatment predictors of response have not been identified. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To identify predictive biomarkers of clinical response, sera from patients treated with high-dose IL-2 were collected for analysis using a customized, multiplex antibody-targeted protein array platform that surveyed expression of soluble factors ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Skin Cancer published 27 May 2009:

Small margin excision of periocular basal cell carcinomas.   Br J Ophthalmol, 93(6): 803-6.

AIMS: To analyse the outcome of small margin (up to 2 mm) excision of primary clinically well-defined periocular basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of 90 well-demarcated primary BCCs having a minimum follow-up of 36 months. All patients underwent excision of the tumour with maximum margins of 2 mm. Resulting defects were, if possible, closed directly. Reconstruction of defects requiring flaps or grafts was delayed until receipt of the histological report which was ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Cutaneous lymphoma incidence patterns in the United States: a population-based study of 3884 cases.   Blood, 113(21): 5064-73.

There have been no prior large population-based studies focusing on cutaneous lymphomas (CL) in the United States. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program data, we analyzed age-adjusted CL incidence rates (IRs) and survival rates by sex and race/ethnicity. There were 3884 CLs diagnosed during 2001-2005. Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) accounted for 71% (age-adjusted incidence rate [IR] = 7.7/1 000 000 person-years), whereas cutaneous B-cell lymphomas(CBCLs) ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Skin Cancer published 26 May 2009:

Case study: the surgical management of angiokeratoma resulting from radiotherapy for penile cancer.   ScientificWorldJournal, 9: 339-42.

Angiokeratoma is a rare, benign skin lesion and a recognised complication of radiation therapy. Here we describe a case of extensive angiokeratoma of the groin and external genitalia resulting from external beam radiation to that area in a patient with penile carcinoma. Furthermore, we outline the management of this problem by surgical reconstruction. [Abstract] [Full-text]

A case of recurrent pseudolymphomatous folliculitis: A mimic of cutaneous lymphoma.   J Am Acad Dermatol, 60(6): 994-1000.

Pseudolymphomatous folliculitis is a rare entity. We present a 62-year-old man with a recurrent solitary nodule on his nose requiring multiple excisions. Microscopic examination of the excisions showed a dense lymphocytic infiltrate containing numerous histiocytes and S100+, CD1a+ dendritic cells that surrounded and infiltrated hypertrophic hair follicles. Diffuse sheets of CD3+ T cells and nodular clusters of CD20+ B cells were also seen. There was normal reactive pattern of follicular ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The inadequacy of punch-excised melanocytic lesions: sampling through the block for the determination of "margins".   J Am Acad Dermatol, 60(6): 990-3.

BACKGROUND: Dermatopathologists often are asked by clinicians to report margins on punch excisions of melanocytic lesions. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the adequacy of surgical margins on melanocytic lesions submitted with intention of complete excision using punch removal technique. METHODS: We conducted prospective analysis of surgical margins on 266 consecutive patients who underwent attempted complete removal of 405 melanocytic nevi submitted as punch and fusiform excisions. RESULTS: ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in a cohort of patients with vitiligo.   J Am Acad Dermatol, 60(6): 929-33.

BACKGROUND: Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) incidence in patients with vitiligo has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We sought to quantify the incidence of NMSC in patients with vitiligo. METHODS: A cohort of 477 patients with vitiligo and no history of NMSC seen in an outpatient academic center between January 2001 and December 2006 was established. All charts for patients with vitiligo were reviewed for incident NMSC, and histopathology verified. Age-adjusted (2000 US Standard Million) incidence ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Treatments for psoriasis and the risk of malignancy.   J Am Acad Dermatol, 60(6): 1001-17.

BACKGROUND: There are multiple therapeutic options for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. The process of choosing among potential treatment options requires both the physician and the patient to weigh the benefits of individual modalities against their potential risks. Traditional systemic therapies for psoriasis, including methotrexate (MTX) and cyclosporine (CsA), have a well-documented array of toxicities, particularly end-organ toxicities. Over the past several years, the use of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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