NEW YORK — The incidence of regression is higher in malignant melanoma than in other neoplasms, Dr. Hideko Kamino said at a dermatology conference sponsored by New York University.
Regression is more common in men, in thin melanomas less than 1.5 mm, and in lesions on the trunk, said Dr. Kamino of the departments of dermatology and pathology at New York University.
Regressing melanomas present with a history of a changing lesion that is typically a patch of plaque of variegated brown, black, red, blue, gray, or white. Blue, black, or gray areas usually mean a proliferation of small blood vessels, a histopathologic sign of late regression. An inflammatory infiltrate is generally seen early in regression.
“The incidence of regression in melanoma depends on whether it is partial, focal, or complex,” she said. Partial regression is seen in 10%–35% of melanomas, complete regression in about 5%. Histologic regression of less than 1.5 mm is most common, seen in 46% of melanomas. Regression of 1.5 to 3 mm occurs in about 32% of lesions.
Regression may be induced by treatment with interleukin-2, interferon-α, vaccines, and imiquimod, she pointed out.