Melanoma historical perspective
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, M.D.; Serge Korjian M.D.
Overview
Melanoma was first described by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. It was often described as the fatal black tumor. In 1838, the term melanoma was first proposed by Sir Robert Carswell, a British pathologist. In 1956, Henry Lancaster, an Australian mathematician, was the first to discover the association between UV radiation exposure and development of melanoma. In 2003, BRAF mutations were first identified in the pathogenesis of melanoma.
Historical Perspective
Discovery
- Melanoma was first described by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. It was often described as the fatal black tumor.[1][2]
- Initially, melanoma was thought to be associated with black carbon deposits in patients with lung cancer. It was not until 1804 that René Laennec, a French physician and inventor of the stethoscope, distinguished melanoma (referred to as melanose) as a unique disease.
- In 1838, the term melanoma was first proposed by Sir Robert Carswell, a British pathologist.[1]
- The association between hereditary diseases and melanoma was first made by William Norris, a British general practitioner.[3]
- In 1853, Sir James Paget, a British surgeon, described the characteristic radial and vertical growth phases of melanoma.[4]
- In 1905, the surgical management using “excision and dissection in continuity” was first suggested by William Handley, a British researcher. This surgical approach remained the predominant therapeutic approach for the management of melanoma until the mid-20th century.[4]
- In 1956, Henry Lancaster, an Australian mathematician, was the first to discover the association between UV radiation exposure and development of melanoma.[4][5]
- In 1970, Alexander Breslow evaluated factors that alter the prognosis of melanoma, including tumor size, depth of invasion, and tumor thickness. The total vertical depth was later referred to as Breslow’s depth.
- In 2003, BRAF mutations were first identified in the pathogenesis of melanoma.[4][6][7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Karamanou M, Liappas I, Stamboulis E, Lymperi M, Kyriakis K, Androutsos G (2012). “Sir Robert Carswell (1793-1857): coining the term “melanoma““. J BUON. 17 (2): 400–2. PMID 22740229.
- ↑ Urteaga O, Pack GT (1966). “On the antiquity of melanoma”. Cancer. 19 (5): 607–10. PMID 5326247.
- ↑ Norris W. (1820). “Case of fungoid disease”. Edinb Med Surg J. 16: 562–565.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rebecca VW, Sondak VK, Smalley KS (2012). “A brief history of melanoma: from mummies to mutations”. Melanoma Res. 22 (2): 114–22. doi:10.1097/CMR.0b013e328351fa4d. PMC 3303163. PMID 22395415.
- ↑ LANCASTER HO (1956). “Some geographical aspects of the mortality from melanoma in Europeans”. Med J Aust. 43 (26): 1082–7. PMID 13347440.
- ↑ Michaloglou C, Vredeveld LC, Soengas MS, Denoyelle C, Kuilman T, van der Horst CM; et al. (2005). “BRAFE600-associated senescence-like cell cycle arrest of human naevi”. Nature. 436 (7051): 720–4. doi:10.1038/nature03890. PMID 16079850.
- ↑ Breslow A, Macht SD (1977). “Optimal size of resection margin for thin cutaneous melanoma”. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 145 (5): 691–2. PMID 910211.
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