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Melanoma recurrence surveillance. Patient or physician based?
C R Shumate1, M M Urist, W A Maddox
1Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
Annals of Surgery
|May 1, 1995
Summary
Symptoms accurately predict melanoma recurrence sites in 90% of patients. Patient visit type does not impact overall survival in melanoma recurrence detection.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Melanoma recurrence is a significant concern following surgical treatment.
- Early detection of melanoma recurrence is crucial for patient outcomes.
- Understanding the roles of physicians and patients in recurrence detection is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the roles of physicians and patients in detecting melanoma recurrence.
- To evaluate the predictive value of symptoms for melanoma recurrence site.
- To assess the impact of patient return visit type on melanoma recurrence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 195 evaluable cases of melanoma recurrence from the University of Alabama Melanoma Registry (1958-1984).
- Patients were categorized into two groups based on return visit type: scheduled (Group I) and unscheduled/early (Group II).
- Analysis of recurrence symptoms, sites, interval to recurrence, and overall survival.
Main Results:
- Symptoms of recurrence were present in 90% of Group I and 93% of Group II patients.
- Symptoms accurately correlated with the recurrence site in over two-thirds of cases.
- No significant difference in median interval to recurrence or overall survival was observed between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- Patient-reported symptoms are highly indicative of melanoma recurrence and its location.
- The type of patient return visit (scheduled vs. early) does not appear to influence overall survival.
- Physician and patient vigilance in recognizing recurrence symptoms is paramount.