Guiding patient care in ambiguous melanocytic lesions
MyPath Melanoma is a gene expression profile (GEP) test that provides clarity in managing patients with ambiguous melanocytic lesions.
GEP provides objective information to clarify malignant potential
When patients are diagnosed with routine nevi or malignant melanoma, the treatment plans are clearly defined by medical guidelines. However, there is a lack of clarity and standardization in the most appropriate management plan for patients with ambiguous, atypical, and abnormal melanocytic lesions. MyPath Melanoma can clarify the underlying malignant potential of the lesion allowing providers to escalate or de-escalate surgical treatment and follow-up frequency.
Aiding dermtology providers in determining malignant potential
In recent studies and case reports, 1,2 ancillary diagnostic GEP testing has aided dermatologists in determining the malignant potential of these challenging melanocytic lesions. This allows providers to confidently align patient management to the malignant potential as determined by GEP.
MyPath Melanoma GEP testing provides an objective assessment of the expression levels of 23 genes and applies a proprietary algorithm to classify the lesion as suggestive of benign or suggestive of malignant.3 Numerous studies have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity 4-8 and clinical utility 9–12 of GEP testing for dermatology providers.
Hear how MyPath Melanoma can be used in your practice
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“When we need to make a decision on excision margins and future surveillance then the MyPath test has become a useful tool for me and my patients.”
Learn how MyPath Melanoma provided clarity to a dermatologist when making management decisions for a patient with an ambiguous lesion.
Examples of cases that are appropriate for testing
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1
Borderline or uncertain diagnosis
- Atypical intraepidermal melanocytic proliferation (AIMP)
- Borderline or severely dysplastic nevus
- Cannot exclude melanoma in situ
- Cannot exclude early-evolving invasive melanoma
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2
Uncertain malignant potential
- Atypical Spitz tumor
- Melanocytic tumor of uncertain malignant potential (MELTUMP)
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3
Conflicting clinical and/or histopathological features
- Highly concerning clinical history or dermoscopic features
- Critical mismatch between clinical and histopathological findings
- Equivocal, ambiguous, or indeterminate result from ancillary testing such as IHC, FISH, or CGH
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4
Treatment recommendation
- Surgical management in cosmetically sensitive areas
- Follow-up management decisions
- Recommendation to re excise without definitive diagnosis for melanoma
Case Studies
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Flat atypical nevus on the cheek
A 45-year-old female presents with a 3 mm flat atypical nevus on the right cheek.
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Concerning melanocytic lesion in patient with personal history of melanoma
A 49-year-old male was seen by a dermatologist for a concerning nevus on the right superior lateral neck. The patient's age, extensive solar damage, and history of metastatic melanoma was a cause for concern.
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Asymmetrical pigmented lesion with high clinical suspicion for melanoma
A 27-year-old female patient was seen by a primary care physician who recommended follow-up with a dermatologist for assessment of a concerning melanocytic lesion.
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MyPath is particularly useful when I don't really know if a pigmented lesion is malignant or not and neither does the dermatopathologist. The choice of excision margins and future surveillance in patients with these aytpical melanocytic lesions is therefore unclear. Gene expression profile testing provides an objective analysis of the lesion's malignant potential allowing me to align the patient's management plan.
Get started with MyPath Melanoma
References
- Gronbeck et al. JCP. 2023
- Witkowski et al. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2023.
- Warf et. al. Biomark Med. 2015.
- Clark et al. J Cutaneous Pathol. 2015.
- Clarke et al. Hum Pathol. 2017.
- Ko et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017.
- Ko et al. Hum Pathol. 2019.
- Clarke et al. Per Med. 2020.
- Cockerell et al. Medicine. 2016.
- Cockerell et al. Per Med. 2017.
- Tschen et al. Cutis. 2021.
- Marks et al. JCAD. 2023.