Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
09:37
Combining Reflectance Confocal Microscopy with Optical Coherence Tomography for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Skin Cancers via Image Acquisition
Published on: August 18, 2022
Accuracy in melanoma detection: a 10-year multicenter survey
Giuseppe Argenziano1, Lorenzo Cerroni, Iris Zalaudek
1Dermatology Unit, Medical Department, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Viale Risorgimento 80 - 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy. g.argenziano@gmail.com
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|October 11, 2011
Summary
Melanoma detection accuracy improved in specialized clinics over ten years, indicated by a lower number-needed-to-excise (NNE). This improvement was not seen in non-specialized settings, suggesting the impact of advanced diagnostic tools.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early melanoma excision is crucial for reducing mortality.
- Unnecessary excision of benign lesions increases patient morbidity and healthcare costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of melanoma detection using number-needed-to-excise (NNE) values over a decade.
- To compare NNE between specialized and non-specialized clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Retrieved data on histopathologically confirmed cutaneous melanomas and melanocytic nevi excised between 1998 and 2007.
- Calculated NNE by dividing total excised lesions by the number of melanomas.
- Analyzed changes in NNE over time and patient factors influencing NNE.
Main Results:
- Overall NNE was 8.7 in specialized clinical settings (SCS) and 29.4 in non-specialized clinical settings (NSCS).
- NNE improved in SCS (12.8 to 6.8) but remained unchanged in NSCS over the 10-year period.
- Higher NNE values were associated with younger patients (<40 years) and lesions on the trunk.
Conclusions:
- Melanoma detection accuracy improved significantly in specialized clinics, potentially due to the adoption of diagnostic techniques like dermatoscopy.
- No improvement in NNE was observed in non-specialized settings during the study period.
- Further research is needed to explore the impact of specific diagnostic tools on melanoma detection accuracy.
