Management of in-transit melanoma metastases: a review

Abstract

In-transit metastases (ITM) of cutaneous melanoma are locoregional recurrences confined to the superficial lymphatics that occur in 3.4–6.2% of patients diagnosed with melanoma. ITM are a heterogeneous disease that poses a therapeutic dilemma. Patients may have a prolonged disease trajectory involving multiple or repeat treatment modalities for frequent recurrences. The management of ITM has evolved without the development of a standardized protocol. Owing to the variability of the disease course there are few dedicated clinical trials, with a number of key trials in stage III melanoma excluding ITM patients. Thus, there is a paucity of quality data on the efficacy of the treatment modalitie..