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Clark's level

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Clark's level

Clark's level is a staging system, which describes the level of anatomical invasion of the melanoma in the skin. It was developed by Wallace H. Clark Jr. at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in the 1960s.

Levels

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Five anatomical levels are recognized, and higher levels have worsening prognostic implications. These levels are:[1]

National usage

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In the United States, the current staging system adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) no longer considers Clark's level, because it is less prognostic and more subjective than other alternatives.[2]

However, it is a mandatory component for melanoma pathology in Sweden.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms". National Cancer Institute. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  2. ^ "Breslow Depth and Clark Level". Melanoma Research Alliance. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  3. ^ "Bilaga 6. Kvalitetsbilaga för patologi (KVAST-bilaga)". Regionala Cancercentrum i Samverkan, guidelines by Swedish Society of Pathology. Retrieved 2020-02-13.

Sources

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