Pulmonary metastasectomy in a patient with malignant melanoma after a disease-free interval of 15 years.

Prognosis in melanoma patients after resection of pulmonary metastases is poor. Little information is available about the relationship between long-term disease-free interval and survival rate after pulmonary metastasectomy. We report a patient treated for malignant melanoma of the forehead who developed a pulmonary metastasis after a disease-free interval of 15 years. Lobectomy was performed, but unfortunately 12 months later the patient died of brain metastases.