Personality and disease outcome in malignant melanoma

The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of personality in the prediction of recurrence and survival times in early-stage malignant melanoma.

Sixty patients with Stage I malignant melanoma were assessed shortly after surgery and followed for 10-year outcome. Survival analyses were conducted (i.e., log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression method), with covariates and personality type as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ).

Men were three times more likely to recur and seven times more likely to die from malignant melanoma than were women. Every millimeter of tumor depth also increased the risks of both recurrence and death twofold. In contrast to medical indices, personality type could not be used to determine risk for either outcome.

In the present study, personality type did not predict recurrence and survival times. Rather, malignant melanoma prognosis was overwhelmingly determined by disease biology.