What is Breslow thickness?
Breslow thickness is a measure of the size of melanoma growth expressed in terms of how deep the epidermis has penetrated. The deeper the thickness of Breslow, the greater the possibility of metastases and the worse the prognosis for the patient. This is one of the several measures used in the evaluation of patients with melanoma to create a suitable treatment plan. In the case of melanoma, the pathologist will measure the tumor height to determine the thickness of Breslow, expressed in millimeters. If the tumor is less than 1 millimeter high, the patient is 95 to 100% five -year survival, which is a very good prognosis. Cancer between 1 and 2 millimeters has a five -year survival rate of 80 to 96%, while an increase above 2 millimeters and less than 4 millimeters high has a reduced survival rate, approximately 60 to 70%.
The largest tumors, over 4 millimeters in height, come with an estimated survival rate of 37 to 50% for the patient. Breslow thickness is an indicator forAggressive treatment to increase the chances of the patient, paired with careful monitoring for any signs of metastases to allow doctors to solve further growth as soon as possible. Medical imaging studies can be recommended to find growth in other areas of the body and the patient may accept aggressive chemotherapy and other treatment to solve melanoma.
Dr. Alexander Breslow is generally attributed to recognition between the level of tumor invasion and the patient's prognosis during research conducted in the 70s. Melanoma growth thickness is known as Breslow's thickness in honor of his research. Also, the doctors can also find other terms to describe melanoma, including Clark's level, specifically we look at how many layers of skin have penetrated cancer, and the production with reference to cancer aggressiveness and metastases.
The diagnosis of melanoma can be scary, especially when technical terms such as Breslow thickness start throw. Patients are entitled to ask for clear and understandable descriptions of their healthh states and obtain information about treatment options, prognosis with different types of treatment and what to expect from treatment to make informed decisions and their possibilities.