Soft Tissue Melanoma is a rare cancer that is not commonly encountered in my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology offices. Also called clear cell sarcomas, Soft Tissue Melanomas are usually located below the skin attached to fascia and muscle tendons. Clinically, Soft Tissue Melanomas appear as deep nodules underneath the skin. The foot and ankle are the most common areas affected. The prognosis is very poor as patients may present with metastases. Treatment of Soft Tissue Melanoma is wide excision and lymph node biopsy/removal. Many patients also require chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In many Soft Tissue Melanomas, the origin is neural crest cells and not melanocytes.
