Melanoma Care Options™ Issue 2: Advances in Melanoma Staging and Surgical Techniques

1. Interested in reading the publication and earning CME credits online? Click here to register, click here to download the publication and click here to take the CME test and evaluation on line.

2. Just want to download the publication? Click here to download the publication. You can always print out and fax the CME information to us later.

Continuing Medical Education Information

To receive a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for this activity:

• 70% of your posttest answers must be correct for you to receive a certifi cate of credit

To receive up to 1.5 CNE credits for this activity:

• Within 4 weeks of successful completion, a certificate will be mailed to the address provided
• 70% of your posttest answers must be correct for you to receive a certificate of credit

Target Audience

This activity is directed toward surgical oncologists, oncology nurses, medical oncologists, dermatologists, and other health care professionals who treat or screen for melanoma

Statement of Need

Management of all stages of melanoma requires a concerted effort on the part of several specially trained members of a healthcare team. Assessing risk, getting patients into the healthcare system, evaluating prognostic information, analyzing and interpreting new therapeutic information and choosing appropriate therapy, working as a team, and educating, guiding, and motivating the patient remain challenging. A core group of specialists are knowledgeable about the optimal management of this malignancy, and this activity provides their insight for practicing healthcare providers.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Interpret changes to the latest edition of the AJCC staging system for cutaneous melanoma and extrapolate those changes to clinical practice
• Describe different biopsy techniques and identify clinical situations best-suited for each procedure
• Evaluate techniques employed in Mohs micrographic surgery and staged excision
• Appraise the value of imiquimod as treatment for melanoma in situ
• Analyze controversies regarding the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy and the interpretation of biopsy findings

Accreditation and Credit Designation

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^™. Each physician should claim only those credits commensurate with the extent of his or her participation in the activity.

1.5 contact hours of Continuing Nursing Education will be granted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Centers Commission on Accreditation.

We gratefully acknowledge an educational grant from Schering-Plough Corporation in support of this activity

Faculty Disclosures

In accordance with ACCME requirements on disclosure, faculty and contributors are asked to disclose any relationships with commercial interests associated with the area of medicine featured in this activity.

Robert H. I. Andtbacka, MD, CM, FRCS(c)
Assistant Professor of Surgery
University of Utah
The Huntsman Cancer Institute
Salt Lake City, UT
No financial relationships to disclose

Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD
Associate Professor of Dermatology
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
No financial relationships to disclose

John M. Kirkwood, MD
Director, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center
Professor and Vice Chairman for Clinical Research
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA
Grant/Research Support: Schering-Plough Corporation, Berlex Laboratories, Pfizer Inc
Consultant: Eleos Inc
Speaker�s Bureau: Schering-Plough Corporation

Release date:March 15, 2009
Expiration date: March 15, 2010
Estimated time to complete activity: 1.5 hours