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Melanoma Staging — SCE Dermatology MCQ

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EasySkin CancerMelanoma StagingSCE Dermatology

A 55-year-old man with melanoma has a Breslow thickness of 2.8 mm with no ulceration. What is his T stage according to AJCC 8th edition?

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Correct answer: B — T3a

AJCC 8th edition: T3 = 2.01-4.00 mm. Suffix 'a' = without ulceration, 'b' = with ulceration. A 2.8 mm melanoma without ulceration = T3a. This patient should have: wide local excision with 1-2 cm margins, sentinel lymph node biopsy discussion, and staging investigations. If SLNB is positive (stage III), adjuvant systemic therapy should be offered. T3a melanomas have approximately 75-80% 10-year melanoma-specific survival — significantly better than ulcerated counterparts (T3b approximately 65-70%).

Reference: AJCC 8th Edition; BAD 2017