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Skin-Melanocytic Tumors
Breslow’s system for tumor thickness
Last major update: November 2008 - next update November 2009
Revised: 11 July 2009
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D., PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
Copyright: (c) 2002-2009, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
Details
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● Measure tumor thickness with ocular micrometer at right angles to surface of adjacent normal skin, from (a) top of granular layer of overlying epidermis OR from ulcer base over deepest point of invasion to (b) deepest invasive tumor cells
● Traditional categories are 0 to 0.76 mm, 0.76 to 1.50 mm and greater than 1.50 mm
● 5 year disease free survival is 98% for first group, 44-63% for third group, intermediate for middle group
● New staging systems use 1 mm increments
● Frozen section measurements may be accurate (Histopathology 1999;34:257)
● An important prognostic factor (Cancer 2000;88:589)
Diagrams
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Breslow depth
Additional references
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End of Skin-Melanocytic Tumors > Breslow’s system for tumor thickness
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