Rapidly Growing Tumor

This 70 yo man presented on January 9, 2006 with a three to four month history of a lesion on his upper back. It was noticed by his wife. He has type III skin and a past history of renal cell carcinoma.



An excisional biopsy was performed.

Presumptive diagnosis is melanoma, probably nodular type.
Pigmented basal cell is another possibility, but rapid growth favors melanoma.
I do not think metastatic renal cell carcinoma would be pigmented.

January 25, 2006 -- Update
The biopsy showed a superficial spreading melanoma, 2.04 mm thick, Level IV.
The patient underwent a wide local excision with 2 cm margins. He elected not to have sentinal node biopsy.