Survival in 31 670 patients with thin melanomas: a Swedish population-based study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) incidence is rising globally.
• Most CMM cases are diagnosed as thin tumors (≤ 1 mm).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess melanoma-specific survival (MSS) and conditional MSS (CMSS) in thin CMM patients in Sweden.
• To analyze survival differences based on tumor thickness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Swedish Melanoma Registry (1990-2017).
• Included 31,670 patients diagnosed with thin CMM.
• Employed Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses for survival calculations.

Main Results:

• Overall 10- and 20-year MSS for thin CMM were 97% and 95%, respectively.
• MSS decreased significantly with increasing thickness from 0.7 mm.
• Women generally had better MSS and CMSS than men, with similar MSS/CMSS relationships.

Conclusions:

• Excellent MSS observed for thin CMM patients in Sweden.
• Favorable long-term survival and CMSS do not necessitate extended follow-up beyond current recommendations.
• Slightly increased thickness (≥ 0.7 mm) shows decreased MSS but still good long-term outcomes.