CORONADO, CALIF. — According to Christopher J. Arpey, MD, there is no single best approach to treating lentigo maligna (LM) and LM melanoma (LMM), but Mohs micrographic surgery is a sensible option in cases where margin size is critical and tissue conservation with precision is essential.
At the annual Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Symposium, Arpey, professor and chair of dermatology at Mayo Clinic Arizona, noted that LM and LMM comprise about 10% of all cases of malignant melanoma, with a rising incidence as documented by Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry data. The estimated risk for progression of LM to LMM is 2%-5%.
“The management of these patients is dependent on a lot of factors,” he said. “What I say to a lot…