Matrix metalloproteinases expression in lentigo maligna∕lentigo maligna melanoma - a review of the literature and personal experience

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, with high invasive potential. Lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) is a relatively rare type, accounting for about 10% of all melanomas, while the most common subtype of melanoma on the face, typically on chronically sun-exposed skin of elderly people. Its in situ stage is lentigo maligna (LM). During the process of transformation from LM to LMM, tumor cells secrete or induce the release from neighboring cells of large amounts of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade the extracellular matrix. Some MMPs, as MMP3 and MMP9 expressed melanoma cells is associated with statistical significance in both in vitro and in vivo studies, with an invasive phenotype. Unfortunately, there is scarce data published about MMPs expression in LM∕LMM, as majority of research on melanoma refer to superficial spreading and nodular melanoma. Our personal, unpublished yet fully data is an attempt to complete a specific panel of immunohistochemical markers that could explain the slow growing rate of LMM.