1. Detection of melanoma relapse: first comparative analysis on imaging techniques versus S100 protein.
- Author
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Beyeler M, Waldispuhl S, Strobel K, Joller-Jemelka HI, Burg G, and Dummer R
- Subjects
- Aged, Diagnosis, Differential, Disease Progression, Female, Humans, Lymphatic Metastasis diagnosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Melanoma blood, Melanoma pathology, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local blood, Positron-Emission Tomography, Predictive Value of Tests, Sensitivity and Specificity, Skin Neoplasms blood, Skin Neoplasms pathology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Biomarkers, Tumor blood, Melanoma diagnosis, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local diagnosis, S100 Proteins blood, Skin Neoplasms diagnosis
- Abstract
Background: Early detection of melanoma recurrence is essential for the patient's prognosis. The serum S100 level may be a useful tool to detect relapse early., Objective: To compare the efficacy of imaging techniques and serum S100 in the early detection of melanoma progression. This is the first report of a comparison of a serum marker with an imaging tool in the follow-up of melanoma patients., Methods: From 1992 to 2003, we screened 192 patients suffering from melanoma recurrence after a disease-free interval. Of those, 127 patients were identified whose S100 levels had been assessed parallel to imaging procedures., Results: Serum S100 was elevated in 37% of patients at the time of relapse. In stage III, 32% of the patients had elevated S100 levels whereas in case of progression to stage IV, 48% of the patients presented with increased S100. In 5.5% of patients, S100 was the first indicator of disease progression. Imaging procedures lead to detection of melanoma recurrence in 26.8%., Conclusion: A rising level of serum S100 is a specific and sensitive marker of melanoma progression.
- Published
- 2006
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