Lack of predictive factors in late recurrence of stage I melanoma

Through the UCLA tumor registry, patients treated for late-relapse malignant melanoma (after a 10-year disease-free interval) were identified and studied retrospectively. The patients were studied in regards to age, sex, primary site of the lesion, the disease-free interval, elective lymph node dissection, mode of recurrence and survival time following relapse. The histologic characteristics studied included the maximal tumor thickness, Clark's levels, rate of mitoses, and presence of ulceration. Based on the 0.84% incidence of late-relapse, the recommendation for annual life-time follow-up examinations for all patients with malignant melanoma is supported.