Abstract
In the forties to the eighties began to dramatically increase the incidence of cutaneous melanoma. The increased frequency was so high that the tumor came to the forefront of professional and public interest.
Therefore, it significantly improved clinical diagnostics and increased detection of early melanomas prognostically favorable. Currently the melanomas of stage I represent more than 60% of all melanomas in the Czech Republic.
Based on the results of randomized prospective studies the recommendations of standard surgical procedures including the sentinel lymph node examination were elaborated. Development of tumor immunology and deeper insight into the biology of melanoma allow the introduction of new therapies.
The last two years have been published results of studies with ipilimumab and vemurafenib, drugs, which open a new era in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. There are no unified recommendations for the monitoring and investigation of pacients after advanced melanoma surgery.
The frequency of clinical check-ups and type of staging examinations differs significantly in individual countries. The determining factors for the selection of intervals and monitoring methods in asymptomatic pacients after melanoma surgery should be the basic histopathological and clinical prognostic tumor characteristics.
Key words: melanoma – diagnosis – treatment – postoperative follow-up