1. Interested in reading the publication and earning CME credits online? Download the publication and take the CME test and evaluation on line.

2. Just want 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:

• Within 4 weeks of successful completion, you may access your credit transcript at ccehs.upmc.edu
• 70% of your posttest answers must be correct for you to receive a certificate 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, general surgeons, oncology nurses, medical oncologists, dermatologists, and other healthcare professionals who screen for and/or treat melanoma.

Statement of Need

Metastatic melanoma continues to be a challenging disease to treat. However, recent clinical trials of targeted and immune-based treatments have shown progress and potential for the future. However, practicing clinicians who diagnose and treat melanoma may find it difficult to identify which promising research is truly significant and likely to influence their contemporary practice in the near future. Through expert interpretation of the most current data concerning the pathogenesis, staging, and treatment of melanoma, including discussion of ongoing clinical trials, this program provides participants with a more detailed understanding of key emerging data and how to translate it to a practice setting.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify changes in the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) melanoma staging system compared with the previous edition
• Describe the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with thin (≤1 mm) melanomas, wide local excision of melanoma, or locally or regionally recurrent melanoma
• Evaluate the role of adjuvant interferon-α therapy and potential markers for treatment response in patients with high-risk melanoma
• Describe different treatment options for patients with in-transit melanoma
• Understand the basic principles and uses of comparative genomic hybridization, cDNA microarray expression profiling, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as they to apply to melanoma research

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 Center's Commission on Accreditation.

We gratefully acknowledge an educational grant from Merck 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.

John M. Kirkwood, MD (Editor)
Professor and Vice Chairman for Clinical Research
Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA
Grant/Research Support: Berlex Laboratories, Pfizer, Inc, Schering-Plough Corporation
Speaker's Bureau: Schering-Plough Corporation

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

Sancy A. Leachman, MD, PhD
Director, Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program
Department of Dermatology at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute
Salt Lake City, UT
Grant/Research Support: Myriad Genetics

Susan M. Swetter, MD
Professor of Dermatology
Director, Pigmented Lesion & Melanoma Program
Stanford University Medical Center/VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Stanford, CA
Grant/Research Support: Schering-Plough Corporation

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Grant/Research Support: Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Pfizer Oncology, Schering-Plough Research International

Date of Original Release:March 25, 2010
Expiration date: March 24, 2011
Last Review: March 4, 2022