Childhood and adolescent melanoma: An update

Abstract

Pediatric melanoma is a rare but clinically significant public health concern, as it accounts for 7% of all malignancies in adolescents aged 15 to 19. Given the overall rarity of pediatric melanoma, especially in preadolescents, patients can go undetected, leading to a delay in treatment. We divide pediatric melanoma subtypes into three distinct age ranges—infantile, preadolescent, and adolescent—and distinguish the clinical features, prognosis, and associated risk factors of each age range. We next summarize the three predominant melanoma subtypes—Spitzoid melanoma, congenital melanocytic nevus-associated melanoma, and conventional (adult-type) melanoma—and provide distinguishing clinical, histologic, and genetic features from their difficult-to-differentiate benign counterparts. We conclude by reviewing consensus guidelines for pediatric melanoma staging and treatment, with a special emphasis on outlining barriers to adapting the advancements in targeted therapeutics into the standard care of pediatric melanoma.