Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
About us Latest news News News articles

Nodal metastases and biomarkers in melanoma

12 December 2011

PhD ceremony: Mr. S. Kruijff, 12.45 uur, Aula Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Nodal metastases and biomarkers in melanoma

Promotor(s): prof. H.J. Hoekstra

Faculty: Medical Sciences

Melanoma is the most malignant type of skin cancers and causes over 75 % of skin cancer related mortality. In the Netherlands, the total number of new diagnosed melanoma patients is expected to increase from 2400 patients in 2000 to 4800 patients in 2015. After surgical treatment, 20-28% of melanoma patients present with loco-regional recurrence, 26-60% with regional recurrences, and 15-50% with distant metastases. Early detection of lymph node (micro) metastases by means of a sentinel lymph node biopsy is crucial to allow for treatment and improve overall survival. When patients present with palpable nodes, given the heterogeneity in survival, it is suspected that numerous patients have a form of subclinical dissemination, which remains undetected with current imaging methods. Biomarkers could play a role, although their biological significance is little understood. It can be expected that the strongest biological markers are surrogates of key biological events. The studies described in this thesis discuss the use of biomarkers in the treatment of melanoma and the correlation between these biomarkers and the biology of the disease.

The protein S-100B appeared to be the best analyzed biomarker in melanoma. Potentially it can be used to identify high risk stage III melanoma patients who may benefit from adjuvant systemic treatment. We recommend the use of S-100B for stratification of patients with loco regional recurrences in trials testing new adjuvant therapeutics. Since an effective (adjuvant) therapy for loco-regional metastatic and disseminated melanoma was recently introduced, the use of S-100B may alter in the near future.

Last modified:13 March 2020 01.09 a.m.
Share this Facebook LinkedIn
View this page in: Nederlands

More news

  • 06 June 2025

    India-Netherlands Hydrogen Valley Fellowship Programme announced

    To coincide with World Environment Day, 5 June 2025, the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the University of Groningen yesterday announced a Hydrogen Valley Fellowship Programme Partnership, allowing talented Indian scholars working on...

  • 28 May 2025

    Gaan avondmensen cognitief sneller achteruit dan ochtendmensen?

    Wie ’s avonds opleeft en laat naar bed gaat, heeft een grotere kans op cognitieve achteruitgang dan een ochtendmens, blijkt uit UMCG-onderzoek.

  • 27 May 2025

    An adventure in the brain

    In the exhibition Brainstorm in the University Mueseum, Iris Sommer and two other brain researchers from Groningen explain the gut-brain connection, how it was discovered that the brain does what it does, and how games motivate you to perform...