Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, and it affects approximately 2.2 million people each year. 1 Melanoma is less common than nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) but is more serious because it is the most likely to metastasize. 1 The histologic thickness or depth of invasion, called the Breslow index, determines prognosis and treatment options. 2 Preoperative evaluation of lesion depth could improve patient management and outcomes. Sonography has been used to assess lesion depth and margins prior to excision as well as to classify adjacent lymph nodes as metastatic. Adding sonography to a patient's protocol may improve management by clarifying lesion depth, identifying margins for excision, and determining lymph node involvement.
MethodsA search of peer-reviewed journal databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, and OVID, was conducted with search terms such as sonography, ultrasound, skin cancer, and melanoma. Original research articles related to the detection and assessment of skin cancers and lymph nodes were evaluated for inclusion. Additionally, articles that focused on detecting, characterizing, and following up on skin cancer were analyzed and included.
AbstractSkin cancer has become more prevalent in recent years, and finding ways to assess and characterize it prior to excision is important. Sonography can be an integral part of the preoperative and follow-up assessment of melanoma, metastatic lymph nodes, and nonmelanoma skin cancers. A review of the literature is reported, indicating that sonography appears to be effective at showing lesion thickness, defining lesion borders, and helping to identify whether lymph nodes are metastatic; however, it cannot differentiate among the types of skin cancer. Based on these findings, best practice scanning techniques are outlined for sonographers.