Treatment options for limited or symptomatic metastatic melanoma

Background Patients who develop metastatic melanoma often have limited effective treatment options. However, a select group of patients will benefit from aggressive surgery or a multidisciplinary approach, depending on the site of metastasis. Methods The current literature was reviewed and summarized regarding the collective recommendations for staging and treating patients with metastatic melanoma. Results A thorough preoperative staging includes positron-emission tomography, MRI of the brain, and CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Tumor biology ultimately determines the success of intervention. A long disease-free interval is a good indicator of potential benefit from resection of metastatic disease. If surgery is performed, no less than a complete resection will affect the overall survival of the patient. Surgery and other multimodality treatment options can be used for symptomatic palliation but will not affect survival. Chemotherapy and radiation are often used to control the symptoms of brain and bony metastases but have limited if any impact on survival. Conclusions A select group of patients with metastatic melanoma will benefit from aggressive surgery. Identifying which patients will benefit from treatment requires good clinical judgment and a thorough radiologic evaluation to identify the true extent of disease.