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Thickness and diameter in melanoma: is there a relation?
Emanuele Crocetti1, Laura Fancelli1, Adele Caldarella1
1Clinical, Descriptive and Registries Unit, Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPO), Florence - Italy.
Tumori
|July 14, 2015
Summary
The correlation between skin melanoma diameter and Breslow thickness is statistically significant but small. Some small melanomas are unexpectedly thick, indicating size alone doesn't predict depth.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Melanoma diagnosis relies on accurate staging.
- Breslow thickness is a critical prognostic factor.
- Tumor diameter is a readily measurable characteristic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the statistical relationship between skin melanoma diameter and Breslow thickness.
- To determine if tumor size is a reliable indicator of melanoma depth.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 2,071 incident skin melanomas from the Tuscany Cancer Registry.
- Computation of Pearson's linear correlation coefficient (r) between diameter and Breslow thickness.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant, albeit small, correlation (r = 0.39) was found between diameter and Breslow thickness.
- This correlation held true across different demographics (sex, age) and skin subsites.
- 22.3% of melanomas had a diameter of 6 mm or less, with some being thick or nodular.
Conclusions:
- While statistically significant, melanoma diameter is a weak predictor of Breslow thickness.
- A notable proportion of small melanomas exhibit significant thickness or nodular features.
- Clinical assessment should consider factors beyond diameter for accurate melanoma staging.
