Does imiquimod work on melanoma?

Imiquimod is a topical cream approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, and genital-perianal warts. Its successful use in patients with persistently positive margins of melanoma in situ (MIS) after surgical excision has been previously reported.

What is the treatment for lentigo maligna?

Lentigo maligna is treated with surgery. The standard and preferred treatment is surgical excision. However, various nonsurgical modalities are available to patients in whom surgical therapy is not feasible, including cryotherapy and immune response therapy with topical imiquimod.

Can lentigo maligna be cured?

Lentigo maligna can be cured with surgery. However, if the whole area is not removed completely with the appropriate surgery, some may develop into an invasive melanoma. It is therefore important to have it removed with a rim of normal skin (an adequate surgical margin).

How serious is lentigo maligna?

Lentigo maligna is not dangerous; it only becomes potentially life threatening if an invasive melanoma develops within it. Long term follow-up involves reviewing the treated area and full skin examination to identify new lesions of concern. If the lesion was invasive, regional lymph nodes should also be examined.

What does lentigo maligna melanoma look like?

The visual symptoms of lentigo maligna melanoma are very similar to those of lentigo maligna. Both look like a flat or slightly raised brown patch, similar to a freckle or age spot. They have a smooth surface and an irregular shape. While they’re usually a shade of brown, they can also be pink, red, or white.

Is lentigo maligna the same as melanoma in situ?

Lentigo maligna is a type of melanoma in situ. It is a slow growing lesion that appears in areas of skin that has a lot of sun exposure such as the face or upper body. Lentigo maligna grows slowly and can take years to develop. Similar to melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna is only in the top layer of skin.

Can lentigo maligna melanoma spread?

Lentigo maligna grows slowly and is usually harmless, but lentigo maligna melanoma can spread aggressively.

What is the difference between lentigo and lentigo maligna?

Lentigo maligna presents as a slowly growing or changing patch of discoloured skin. At first, it often resembles a freckle or benign lentigo. It becomes more distinctive and atypical in time, often growing to several centimetres over several years or even decades.

Is lentigo maligna slow growing?

The prognosis is excellent. Lentigo maligna is a type of melanoma in situ. It is a slow growing lesion that appears in areas of skin that get a lot of sun exposure, such as the face or upper body. Because it grows slowly it can take years to develop.

Does lentigo maligna melanoma spread?

Lentigo maligna is a type of melanoma in situ. It is a slow growing lesion that appears in areas of skin that get a lot of sun exposure, such as the face or upper body. Because it grows slowly it can take years to develop. Similar to melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna has not spread and is only in the top layer of skin.

Can lentigo maligna come back?

Can lentigo maligna be cured? Yes, the outlook for lentigo maligna is excellent. It is very rare for them to come back because they were ‘in situ’. Furthermore, they will not have had an opportunity to spread elsewhere in the body.

What is the best treatment for lentigo maligna?

Radiotherapy, like imiquimod, is a noninvasive treatment option that has been used as a primary treatment for lentigo maligna in patients who are poor surgical candidates. Studies have used Grenz ray therapy for treatment of lentigo maligna [102–104].

Are 5 mm margins adequate for excision of lentigo maligna?

Numerous studies have shown that 5 mm margins excised around lentigo maligna are often insufficient to obtain margin control [14–26]. Agarwal et al. [15] sought to determine if 5 mm margins were adequate to excise lentigo maligna in 92 cases. They found that 58% of cases required wider excisions than 5 mm.

What are the signs and symptoms of lentigo maligna de novoor?

Lentigo maligna can develop de novoor within a pre-existing solar lentigo. Patients typically present with a chief complaint of a new, asymptomatic pigmented macule or patch on the head or neck region, or a freckle that has changed in size, shape, or color. Open in a separate window Figure 1A.