Malignant melanoma of the skin. Changing clinical stage at presentation, 1955-1979

The rising incidence of malignant melanoma is associated with a change in the stage at presentation. As a result more deaths can now be expected in stage I patients, despite their overall better prognosis. More accurate staging, with regional node dissection, is needed if these 'at risk' patients are to be identified earlier. This need will become more acute as suitable adjuvant chemotherapy and other regimes become available.