Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Feb;22(1):1-8.
doi: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e32834e6aa0.

Superficial spreading and nodular melanoma are distinct biological entities: a challenge to the linear progression model

Holly S Greenwald  1 , Erica B Friedman, Iman Osman
Affiliations
Review

Superficial spreading and nodular melanoma are distinct biological entities: a challenge to the linear progression model

Holly S Greenwald et al. Melanoma Res. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

The classification of melanoma subtypes into prognostically relevant and therapeutically insightful categories has been a challenge since the first description of melanoma in the 1800s. One limitation has been the assumption that the two most common histological subtypes of melanoma, superficial spreading and nodular, evolve according to a linear model of progression, as malignant melanocytes spread radially and then invade vertically. However, recent clinical, pathological, and molecular data indicate that these two histological subtypes might evolve as distinct entities. Here, we review the published data that support distinct molecular characterization of superficial spreading and nodular melanoma, the clinical significance of this distinction including prognostic relevance and the therapeutic implications.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None to disclose.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Scolyer RA, Long GV, Thompson JF. Evolving concepts in melanoma classification and their relevance to multidisciplinary melanoma patient care. Molecular oncology. 2011;5(2):124–136. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Moles and malignant melanoma: terminology and CLASSIFICATION. The Medical journal of Australia. 1967;1(3):123–125. - PubMed
    1. Clark WH, Jr., et al. The histogenesis and biologic behavior of primary human malignant melanomas of the skin. Cancer research. 1969;29(3):705–727. - PubMed
    1. LeBoit PE, et al. World Health Organization classification of tumours. Lyon: IARC Press; 2006. Pathology and genetics of skin tumours; p. 355.
    1. McGovern VJ, et al. The classification of malignant melanoma and its histologic reporting. Cancer. 1973;32(6):1446–1457. - PubMed

Publication types