9th July 2023

Investigation/Treatment

The ABCDE approach can be useful for detection. Other signs include itching, bleeding, and tenderness. A full-thickness excisional biopsy is diagnostic and prognostic. Breslow’s thickness (invasion depth) is an important prognostic marker and informs the margins of further surgery (Wide local Excision [WLE]). A WLE assists with staging and can be therapeutic. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can detect melanoma spread to nearby lymph nodes, which may indicate further dissection and imaging with CT, MRI, or PET scans. Adjuvant treatments include immunotherapy and targeted therapies.