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Cureus Jan 2024Melanoma of the uterine cervix is an exceedingly rare malignancy that has high recurrence rates and distant metastases. In general, surgery is the preferred treatment...
Melanoma of the uterine cervix is an exceedingly rare malignancy that has high recurrence rates and distant metastases. In general, surgery is the preferred treatment for this tumor, and depending on stage additional consideration to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy has emerged as a new treatment option in this context. The aim of this study was to report a case of melanoma of the uterine cervix that progressed rapidly to death while the patient was undergoing immunotherapy with nivolumab. A 39-year-old woman presented with an amelanotic ulcerated lesion of the uterine cervix in February of 2023. Histopathology study demonstrated melanoma of the uterine cervix. Treatment was initiated with surgery. Two months after cancer diagnosis, the tumor board decided to initiate adjuvant treatment with nivolumab. After four cycles of immunotherapy, progression of the disease occurred with death of the patient within six months of follow-up. The rare case presented illustrates the aggressive natural history of the tumor and possible use of immunotherapy in this context, despite current evidence that response to nivolumab is less effective in cervical melanoma than in skin melanoma.
PubMed: 38389591
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52811 -
Cancers Jan 2024Skin cancers are a dominant type of cancer that impacts millions per year. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease triggered by the irreversible impairment of cellular...
Skin cancers are a dominant type of cancer that impacts millions per year. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease triggered by the irreversible impairment of cellular homeostasis and function. In this study, we investigated the activity of 37 structurally diverse flavonoids to find potentially active substances using two melanoma cell lines: C32 and A375. First, the cytotoxic potential and DNA biosynthesis inhibition of flavonoids were tested to determine the most active compounds in cancer and normal cells. Second, the molecular mechanism of the anticancer activity of flavonoids was elucidated using Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. Compounds , , , and reduced the viability of A375 and C32 cell lines via the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis, whereas and acted in a higher degree via the inhibition of DNA biosynthesis. In our experiment, we demonstrated the anticancer activity of compound (5,6-dihydroxyflavone) for the first time. The in vitro studies pointed out the importance of the flavonoid core in hydroxyl groups in the search for potential drugs for amelanotic melanoma.
PubMed: 38339241
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030487 -
Veterinarni Medicina Dec 2023This case report follows a 10-year-old castrated male Miniature Schnauzer dog presented with a history of incomplete surgical resection of an oral malignant...
This case report follows a 10-year-old castrated male Miniature Schnauzer dog presented with a history of incomplete surgical resection of an oral malignant melanoma (amelanotic type) on the right mandible. Melanoma vaccine therapy was administered due to incomplete surgical resection, however, new masses were detected on the contralateral mandible and suspected pulmonary metastasis occurred at 2 weeks and 7 months, respectively, following the first melanoma vaccination. At the time of detecting the pulmonary metastasis, targeted chemotherapy was initiated with the owner's consent using imatinib (10 mg/kg/day, p.o.), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). The patient did not show any significant adverse events related to both anticancer treatments. Three months following the first dose of imatinib, the absence of the suspected pulmonary metastatic nodules on radiography indicated complete remission. In conclusion, this report describes the achievement of clinical remission of suspected pulmonary metastatic oral malignant melanoma and an extension of survival time in a dog given a combination treatment of immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
PubMed: 38303994
DOI: 10.17221/90/2023-VETMED -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Jan 2024Pigmentation in uveal melanoma is associated with increased malignancy and is known as a barrier for photodynamic therapy. We investigated the role of pigmentation in...
PURPOSE
Pigmentation in uveal melanoma is associated with increased malignancy and is known as a barrier for photodynamic therapy. We investigated the role of pigmentation in tumor behavior and the response to light-activated Belzupacap sarotalocan (Bel-sar) treatment in a pigmented (wild type) and nonpigmented (tyrosinase knock-out [TYR knock-out]) cell line in vitro and in a murine model.
METHODS
The B16F10 (TYR knock-out) was developed using CRISPR/Cas9. After the treatment with light-activated Bel-sar, cytotoxicity and exposure of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) were measured by flow cytometry. Treated tumor cells were co-cultured with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and dendritic cells (DCs) to assess phagocytosis and activation. Both cell lines were injected subcutaneously in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice.
RESULTS
Knock-out of the tyrosinase gene in B16F10 led to loss of pigmentation and immature melanosomes. Pigmented tumors contained more M1 and fewer M2 macrophages compared with amelanotic tumors. Bel-sar treatment induced near complete cell death, accompanied with enhanced exposure of DAMPs in both cell lines, resulting in enhanced phagocytosis of BMDMs and maturation of DCs. Bel-sar treatment induced a shift to M1 macrophages and delayed tumor growth in both in vivo tumor models. Following treatment, especially the pigmented tumors and their draining lymph nodes contained IFN-gamma positive CD8+T cells.
CONCLUSIONS
Pigmentation influenced the type of infiltrating macrophages in the tumor, with more M1 macrophages in pigmented tumors. Belzupacap sarotalocan treatment induced immunogenic cell death and tumor growth delay in pigmented as well as in nonpigmented models and stimulated M1 macrophage influx in both models.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Melanoma; Monophenol Monooxygenase; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Macrophages; Pigmentation
PubMed: 38271187
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.1.42 -
Asian Journal of Surgery May 2024
Topics: Female; Humans; Melanoma, Amelanotic; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Aged
PubMed: 38245416
DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2024.01.044 -
JACC. Case Reports Jan 2024We present a case of detection of a right atrial mass during surveillance echocardiography, mimicking myxoma. Cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography revealed...
We present a case of detection of a right atrial mass during surveillance echocardiography, mimicking myxoma. Cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography revealed infiltration into the pericardium, suggesting malignancy. Abdominal computed tomography showed multiple liver masses that were histologically positive for metastatic amelanotic melanoma. Under immunotherapy adequate remission was achieved.
PubMed: 38223263
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2023.102146 -
The Journal of Dermatology May 2024The dermoscopic diagnosis of amelanotic/hypomelanotic lentigo maligna/lentigo maligna melanoma (AHLM/LMM) may be very difficult in its early stages because of lack of...
The dermoscopic diagnosis of amelanotic/hypomelanotic lentigo maligna/lentigo maligna melanoma (AHLM/LMM) may be very difficult in its early stages because of lack of pigment. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is an imaging technique that is especially helpful for the diagnosis of lentigo maligna. To determine the diagnostic performances of dermoscopy and RCM in the diagnosis of AHLM/LMMs we evaluated dermoscopic and RCM images of consecutive cases of histopathologically confirmed AHLM/LMMs, amelanotic/hypomelanotic basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (AHBCCs/AHSCCs), amelanotic/hypomelanotic benign lesions (AHBLs), and actinic keratoses (AKs) from five participating centers. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, predictive values, and level of diagnosis confidence were calculated for both diagnostic procedures. Both dermoscopy and RCM showed diagnostic performance >97% in the diagnosis of AHLM/LMMs versus AHBCC/AHSCCs and their combination slightly improved diagnostic performance, with accuracy increasing from 98.0% to 99.1%. Similarly, RCM in combination with dermoscopy showed a tiny increase in the diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of AHLM/LMMs versus AHBLs (accuracy increased from 87.2% to 88.8%) and versus AKs (accuracy increased from 91.4% to 93.4%). Although the increase in diagnostic performance due to RCM was modest, the combination of dermoscopy and RCM greatly increased the level of confidence; high confidence in the diagnosis of AHLM/LMMs versus AHBLs increased from 36.2% with dermoscopy alone to 76.6% with dermoscopy plus RMC. Based on our results, dermoscopy and RCM should be complementary to improve not only diagnostic accuracy but also the level of diagnostic certainty in the diagnosis of AHLM/LMMs.
Topics: Humans; Dermoscopy; Microscopy, Confocal; Skin Neoplasms; Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle; Sensitivity and Specificity; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Aged; Male; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Middle Aged; Keratosis, Actinic; Melanoma, Amelanotic; Aged, 80 and over; Predictive Value of Tests
PubMed: 38217366
DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.17075 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023The survival and prognosis of patients are significantly threatened by cutaneous melanoma (CM), which is a highly aggressive disease. It is therefore crucial to...
BACKGROUND
The survival and prognosis of patients are significantly threatened by cutaneous melanoma (CM), which is a highly aggressive disease. It is therefore crucial to determine the most recent survival rate of CM. This study used population-based cancer registry data to examine the 5-year relative survival rate of CM in the US.
METHODS
Period analysis was used to assess the relative survival rate and trends of patients with CM in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2004-2018. And based on the data stratified by age, gender, race and subtype in the SEER database, a generalized linear model was 12established to predict the 5-year relative survival rate of CM patients from 2019 to 2023.
RESULTS
The 5-year relative survival increased to various degrees for both total CM and CM subtypes during the observation period. The improvement was greatest for amelanotic melanoma, increasing from 69.0% to 81.5%. The 5-year overall relative survival rates of CM were 92.9%, 93.5%, and 95.6% for 2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2018, respectively. Females had a marginally higher survival rate than males for almost all subtypes, older people had lower survival rates than younger people, white patients had higher survival rates than nonwhite ones, and urban locations had higher rates of survival from CM than rural locations did. The survival rate of CM was significantly lower for distant metastasis.
CONCLUSION
The survival rate of patients with CM gradually improved overall during 2004-2018. With the predicted survival rate of 96.7% for 2019-2023, this trend will still be present. Assessing the changes experienced by patients with CM over the previous 15 years can help in predicting the future course of CM. It also provides a scientific foundation that associated departments can use to develop efficient tumor prevention and control strategies.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Aged; Melanoma; Skin Neoplasms; SEER Program; Prognosis; Survival Rate
PubMed: 38125787
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1238086 -
Retinal Cases & Brief Reports Nov 2023To describe a case of a previously healthy middle-aged male with an atypical choroidal mass and fatigue.
PURPOSE
To describe a case of a previously healthy middle-aged male with an atypical choroidal mass and fatigue.
METHODS
Case report.
RESULTS
A 56-year-old Caucasian male presented with decreased vision in the right eye (OD) and a choroidal amelanotic mass OD with subretinal fluid. He received bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) injections by multiple providers without improvement in vision and with tumor progression. Visual acuity was 20/400 OD and 20/25 left eye (OS). The anterior segment was unremarkable in both eyes (OU). He was referred with suspected diagnosis of choroidal melanoma, metastasis, or osteoma. On examination, a choroidal amelanotic tumor with vermiform margins measuring 12 mm in base and 1.8 mm in thickness was seen OD. Smaller satellite lesions were noted inferiorly. Fundus OS was normal. Infectious evaluation was unrevealing and angiotensin-converting enzyme, lysozyme, and chest x-ray were normal. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was declined by the patient. Given the clinical suspicion of choroidal sarcoidosis with characteristic tumor color, vermiform margins, and presence of satellite lesions, oral corticosteroids 60 mg/day for 2 months were started, followed by sub-Tenons triamcinolone acetonide (40mg/1 mL) injection three months later and urgent rheumatologic evaluation. He self-discontinued the oral corticosteroids and the tumor progressed by the next follow-up. Oral corticosteroids were restarted at 80mg/day. 16 months after his presentation to us, he experienced fatigue with electrocardiogram findings of third-degree heart block from sarcoidosis. He received an intracardiac defibrillator and 80 mg/day of corticosteroids with plans to initiate methotrexate for stronger immunosuppression.
CONCLUSION
Understanding the numerous manifestations of ocular and systemic sarcoidosis is crucial. Choroidal sarcoidosis characteristically exhibits vermiform margins. Close follow-up and systemic monitoring is necessary in patients presenting with ocular signs of sarcoidosis.
PRECIS
The diagnosis of choroidal sarcoidosis can be challenging. Features including vermiform tumor margins, satellite lesions, and choroidal infiltration on OCT are suggestive of choroidal sarcoidosis. All patients with ocular sarcoidosis should be monitored for systemic involvement. In this case, the ocular manifestation guided the diagnosis and eventually the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis.
PubMed: 38113278
DOI: 10.1097/ICB.0000000000001507 -
Cureus Nov 2023Amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma is a rare variant of cutaneous malignant melanoma. The diagnosis of amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma is rarely...
Amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma is a rare variant of cutaneous malignant melanoma. The diagnosis of amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma is rarely made based on cytological examinations. Most of the cases reported in the routine practice involve metastatic lesions of known cutaneous amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma. The diagnosis of amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is scarce. We present one such extremely rare diagnosis of amelanotic primary signet ring cell melanoma at the unusual site of the axilla, which was established on FNAC. We also discuss its histological differential diagnosis and confirmative immunohistochemistry (IHC).
PubMed: 38094552
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48714