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

Solar elastosis in cutaneous melanoma.

Vollmer RT

Department of Pathology, Veterans Affairs and Duke University Medical Centers, Durham, NC 27705, USA.

By studying more than 1,200 patients with cutaneous melanoma and long-term follow-up, I examined the relationship between solar elastosis and age at diagnosis of melanoma, key features of melanoma, and the outcome of overall survival in melanoma. I found that melanomas with elastosis were diagnosed significantly later than those without elastosis (P approximately 0; log-rank test). This result may be because elastosis is positively related to age. However, I also found that melanomas of head and neck areas, which tend to have more elastosis, were diagnosed at later ages than melanomas of other body sites (P = 1.2 x 10-5; log-rank test). Thus, a second explanation for the results favors a protective effect of elastosis on the development of cutaneous melanoma, possibly related to increased levels of vitamin D. I also found that once melanoma develops, cases with elastosis demonstrated no differences in thickness, mitotic rate, ulceration, or overall survival time from cases without elastosis.

Published 19 July 2007 in Am J Clin Pathol, 128(2): 260-4.
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