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Glossary of Melanoma Terms - C

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Cell

The individual unit that makes up all of the tissues of the body.

Cellular Description (the type of melanoma):

  • Superficial Spreading Melanoma
  • Nodular Melanoma
  • Acral Lentiginous
  • Lentigo Melanoma
  • Other: mucosal melanoma
Chemotherapy

Is treatment of cancer with anticancer drugs.

Clark's Level

Depth a melanoma lesion extends below the skin surface based on involved skin layer (the larger the level number the deeper into the tissue it extends)

  • Clark's Level I—lesion involves the dermis
  • Clark's Level II—lesion involves the papillary dermis
  • Clark's Level III—lesion invades and fills the papillary dermis
  • Clark's Level IV—lesion invades reticular dermis
  • Clark's Level V—lesion invades sub-cutaneous tissue

(Depending upon where the melanoma is located on the body, the millimeters of depth for each Clark level can vary widely, so one person's Clark's III may be 1 mm, while another person's is 2 mm.)

Clinical Trial

A type of research study that tests how well new medical treatments or other interventions work in people.  May also be called a clinical study.

Cutaneous

Pertaining to the skin

Cytokines

A class of substances that are produced by cells of the immune system and can affect the immune response.  Cytokines can also be produced in the lab by recombinant DNA technology and given to people to affect immune responses.

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