Abstract 139: Prognostic Factors In Determining The Recurrence Of Desmoplastic Melanoma

PURPOSE: Desmoplastic melanoma is a rare subclass of melanoma with unique clinical implications. Recent advances in immunotherapy have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of this type of melanoma. Currently, patients with positive sentinel node biopsies may be candidates for adjuvant immunotherapy without a completion lymphadenectomy. Staging in melanoma relies heavily on sentinel lymph node biopsies. The rate of positive sentinel nodes in desmoplastic melanoma is lower than other sybtypes yet rates of visceral recurrence are similar and rates of local recurrenc are actually higher. Therefore, staging desmoplastic melanoma and predicting those that may benefit from upfront check point inhibitor therapy is difficult. The purpose of this study is to identify patients that are likely to have recurrence utilizing pathological characteristics, mutation analysis and sentinel lymph node biopsies and clinical/demographic characteristics