Malignant Melanoma (MM) is the most lethal malignant skin tumor despite representing only a small part of skin tumors. Worldwide, cutaneous melanoma (CM) is estimated to have reached 100,000 new cases per year in the last decade, an increase of about 15 percent compared to the previous decade. Cutaneous melanoma is dozens of times more frequent in individuals of European (Caucasian) descent than in other ethnic groups. In fact, the highest incidence rates are found in areas that are very sunny and are inhabited by populations of northern European descent who commonly have a particularly fair skin. As an example, in Italy the estimate of melanomas is approximate 7,000 cases a year.

In recent years, oncology research has made giant strides that allowed us to significantly improve the prognosis of the most advanced stages of this neoplasm, whose early recognition, clinical and histological diagnosis, and molecular characterization constitute one of the main pillars of therapeutic strategies. The histological diagnosis of MM has consistently served as the Gold Standard of the diagnostic-therapeutic-care pathway of the patient with MM, however, the new immunophenotypic acquisition and molecular techniques have allowed for the improved differential diagnosis between dysplastic nevus forms and true Melanomas (Melan-A, HMB-45, MiTF, Tyrosinase, PRAME etc.). In addition, new techniques such as the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is increasingly gaining ground in MM management.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that improve our understanding of the currently known clinical, histological and molecular features of Malignant Melanoma and provide insights into the future direction of this rapidly evolving field.

Potential areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:
• Clinical and dermoscopical features
• Confocal microscopy features
• Histopathological and Immunohistochemical characteristics
• Oncological Treatment
• Immunotherapy

Even though abstract submission is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit an abstract before submitting their manuscript. Abstracts do not have to coincide with the final abstract of the manuscripts. For authors, please review the journal's information regarding Author Guidelines and Article Processing Charges, or direct any questions to the Editorial Office: por@por-journal.com.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Malignant Melanoma, Dermatopathology, Dermatology, Molecular, Treatment