A 25-year-old female complains of a mole on her upper back. The lesion is 6 mm in diameter, darkly pigmented, and asymmetric, with a very irregular border. The next step in management is:
Tell the patient to avoid sunlight
Follow the lesion for any evidence of growth
Obtain metastatic workup
Obtain full-thickness excisional biopsy
Ans. D. Obtain full-thickness excisional biopsya. The lesion has characteristics of melanoma (pigmentation, asymmetry, irregular border), and a full-thickness excisional biopsy is required. Shave biopsy of a suspected melanoma is always contraindicated.b. Diagnosis is urgent; the lesion cannot be observed over time. Once the diagnosis of melanoma is made, the tumor must then be staged to determine prognosis and treatment.
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