This study aimed to analyse (i) the metastatic behaviour of human melanoma FEMX-1 cells in scid mice after surgical excision of the PT and (ii) to evaluate the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of melanoma metastases. Histology proved both high specificity (95%), and high sensitivity of MRI detection of melanoma metastasis. CEACAM1, L1, and HPA-binding site expression, all markers predicting metastasis in clinical studies, were preserved in the metastatic nodules. Thus, our xenograft model closely resembles the clinical situation of post-operative development of distant organ metastasis and demonstrates that MRI is a sensitive and highly qualified technology for intra-vital monitoring of melanoma progression.
