Table 2.
Clinical biomarkers for the prognosis and prediction of melanoma
| Characteristics | Associated with worse outcomes | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prognostic biomarkers | |||
| Primary melanoma | Thickness | Thick melanomas | [147] |
| Ulceration | Present | [147] | |
| Histology | Nodular and acral subtype | [148] | |
| Mitotic rate | Presence of mitosis | [149] | |
| Age | > 60 | [147, 149] | |
| Site | Trunk, head and neck | [147, 149] | |
| Mutation status | BRAF or NRAS positive | [150] | |
| Stage III melanoma | Lymph node stage (AJCC) | IIIC | [151] |
| Nodal status | Increased number of positive lymph nodes | [147] | |
| Tumor burden | Macroscopic disease | [147] | |
| Ulceration on primary melanoma | Present | [147] | |
| Extracapsular extension | Present | [151] | |
| Metastatic melanoma | Distant metastatic site | Visceral metastasis | [147, 152] |
| Number of visceral metastasis | ≥ 2 | [152, 153] | |
| LDH | Above upper limit of normal | [152, 153] | |
| Serum albumin | < 3.5 g/deciliter | [153] | |
| ECOG performance status | ≥ 1 | [152] | |
| Hematological parameters | Abnormal platelets | [152] | |
| Predictive biomarkers | |||
| MAPK therapy | BRAF Status | No BRAF V600 mutation | [131] |
| LDH | Above upper limit of normal | [19] | |
| ECOG performance status | ≥ 1 | [19] | |
| Number of organ sites containing metastases | ≥ 3 | [19] | |
| Sites of disease | Visceral only | [19] | |
| Baseline disease stage | IVM1c | [19] | |
| Sum of lesion diameter | ≥ median (58 mm) | [19] | |
| Immunotherapy | LDH | Above upper limit of normal | [154] |
| Baseline tumor size | ≥ median (102 mm) | [154] | |
| Stage | IVM1a or IVM1c | [154] | |