[Results of treatment of malignant melanoma--a computer analysis of 772 patients]

The data of 772 patients with malignant melanoma, treated from 1.1.1972 to 30.6.1988 in the Regional Hospital Dresden-Friedrichstadt were analysed by computer. The probability of survival was estimated separately by the method of Kaplan and Meier in dependence on clinical stage in the time of the first treatment, pT and sex. The 10-year survival rate in clinical stage I amounts to pT1 = 100%; pT2 = 82.9% +/- 4.0%; pT3 = 67.1 +/- 4.3% and pT4 = 58.0 +/- 4.7%. There are significantly differences between women and men with melanomas of the category pT2 and pT3 in favour of women (pT2: 88.6%:70.0%; pT3: 75.8%: 53.4%). In the cases of pT4 melanoma there are no differences (61%:53%). The average time of survival from these patients who have died from melanoma shows also marked differences according to pT (pT2 = 46.6 month, pT3 = 36.6 month, pT4 = 30.2 month).