Risk factors associated with tumor upstaging in melanomas treated with Mohs micrographic surgery with melanocytic immunohistochemistry.

Background: Mohs micrographic surgery with melanocytic immunohistochemistry (MMS-I) is increasingly utilized for special site melanoma treatment. Yet, frequency and risk factors associated with upstaging of all-stage cutaneous melanomas treated with MMS-I remain undefined. Objective: Determine upstaging frequency and factors associated with tumor upstaging for all-stage melanomas treated with MMS-I. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center case series, all cases of invasive and in situ melanoma treated with MMS-I between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Patient and tumor characteristics were recorded and compared between tumors that were and were not upstaged from their initial T stage. Results: Of the 962 melanoma MMS-I cases identified, 44 (4.6%) were upstaged, including 5.6% of in situ and 2.5% of invasive tumors. Risk factors for upstaging included lack of excisional intent at the time of initial biopsy (P < .01), nonlentigo maligna subtype (P = .03), female sex (P = .02), and initial in situ diagnosis (P = .03). Nonstatistically significant characteristics evaluated included patient age (P = .97), initial Breslow depth (P = .18), and biopsy type (P = .24). Limitations: Retrospective study design. Conclusions: All-stage cutaneous melanomas treated with MMS-I are associated with low upstaging rates. Tumor upstaging is associated with lack of excisional intent, female sex, and in situ tumors.

The Impact of Surgical Delay in Primary Cutaneous Melanoma: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prognosis of patients diagnosed with melanoma is highly dependent on staging, early detection, and early intervention. In this systematic review, the authors aimed to investigate the impact of surgical delay (time between diagnostic biopsy and definitive surgical excision) on melanoma-specific outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted from Embase (1974-present), MEDLINE (1946-present), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2005-present), Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of 977 studies were included for review after removal of duplicates. A total of 10 studies were included for final analysis. RESULTS: In total, 70% (7/10) of the studies found that longer wait times between initial biopsy and surgical intervention are correlated with lower overall survival. Among the 9 studies that reported overall survival as a percentage, the median and SD overall survival was 82% ± 5.87. CONCLUSION: There is evidence that prolonged surgical delay in patients diagnosed with Stage I cutaneous melanoma is associated with worsened overall mortality, whereas the effect of surgical delay on overall mortality in Stages II and III melanomas is uncertain. Future prospective studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to better define the appropriate surgical wait times between biopsy and surgical treatment.

Intraoperative Immunohistochemistry During Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Staged Excision Decreases Local Recurrence Rates for Invasive Cutaneous Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is increasingly used to treat cutaneous melanoma. However, it is unclear whether intraoperative immunohistochemistry (IHC) improves surgical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intraoperative IHC during MMS and staged excision is associated with a decreased risk of poor surgical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Search of 6 databases identified comparative and noncomparative studies that reported local recurrence after MMS or staged excision with or without IHC for melanoma. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled local recurrence rates, nodal recurrence, distant recurrence, and disease-specific mortality. RESULTS: Overall, 57 studies representing 12,043 patients with cutaneous melanoma and 12,590 tumors met inclusion criteria. Combined MMS and staged excision with IHC was associated with decreased local recurrence in patients with invasive melanoma (0.3%, 95% CI: 0-0.6) versus hematoxylin and eosin alone (1.8%, 95% CI: 0.8%-2.8%) [p < .001]. Secondary outcomes including nodal recurrence, distant recurrence, and disease-specific mortality were not significantly different between these 2 groups. Study heterogeneity was moderately-high. CONCLUSION: Local recurrence of invasive melanoma is significantly lower after MMS and staged excision with IHC as opposed to without IHC. These findings suggest that the use of intraoperative IHC during MMS or staged excision should strongly be considered, particularly for invasive melanoma.Trial Registration PROSPERO Identifier: CRD42023435630.

Disease-Specific Mortality of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans After Mohs Surgery Versus Wide Local Excision: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although advances have been made in the understanding of recurrence patterns in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, the current understanding of disease-specific mortality after surgical management is limited. OBJECTIVE: To understand disease-specific mortality rates associated with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans treated with wide local excision (WLE) versus Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on March 6, 2023, to identify patients treated with MMS or WLE for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. RESULTS: A total of 136 studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, the disease-specific mortality rate was not significantly different after treatment with MMS (0.7%, confidence interval [CI] 0.1-1.2, p : 0.016) versus WLE (0.9%, CI 0.6-1.2, p < .001). For recurrent tumors, the MMS treatment group had a statistically significantly lower disease-specific mortality rate (1.0%, CI 0.0-2.0, p 0.046) compared with the WLE treatment group (3.5%, CI 2.0-5.1, p < .001). The mean follow-up for all studies was 57.6 months. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The authors' meta-analysis suggests there is no substantial difference in disease-specific mortality between MMS and WLE in patients with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, except in the case of recurrent tumors, where MMS seems to confer a survival advantage.

Increasing Incidence and Decreasing Mortality of Melanoma in Elderly Adults: An Epidemiologic Study in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Primary cutaneous melanoma incidence is increasing in elderly individuals. This population-based cohort examines incidence and mortality rates among adults aged 61 years and older with cutaneous melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, patients aged 61 years of age or older with a first lifetime diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma between January 1, 1970 and December 31, 2020 were identified. RESULTS: The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate increased from 16.4 (95% CI, 8.2-24.6) per 100,000 person-years in 1970 to 1979 to 201.5 (95% CI, 185.1-217.8) per 100,000 person-years in 2011 to 2020 (12.3-fold increase). There was a 16.0x increase in males and an 8.5× increase in females. Melanoma incidence has stabilized in males (1.2-fold increase, p = .11) and continues to significantly increase in females (2.7-fold increase, p < .001). Older age at diagnosis was significantly associated with an increased risk of death (HR 1.23 per 5-year increase in age at diagnosis, 95% CI, 1.02-1.47). CONCLUSION: Melanoma incidence continues to increase since 1970. The incidence has risen in elderly females, but has stabilized in males. Mortality has decreased throughout this period.

Dermatologic surgeons' approaches to acral lentiginous melanoma: a survey of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a subtype of melanoma that primarily affects ethnic minorities and is associated with poor outcomes. Racial inequalities in melanoma survival, particularly between Blacks and Whites, have been well documented in the literature. There are limited data on the role of surgical approach to ALM and its contribution to the existing disparities in ALM survival. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of surgical approach to ALM among Mohs surgeons. The survey was distributed to members of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS), with 43 physicians completing the survey. The results showed that there was no consensus among Mohs surgeons regarding the surgical approach for ALM, even for advanced stages. 74% respondents performed complete circumferential peripheral and deep margin assessment (CCPDMA) for ALM, including Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) or en face staged excision. However, barriers such as limited training, low comfort operating on acral sites, and inadequate access to specialized biopsies were reported. Treatment recommendations varied widely regardless of the ALM stage, with no significant differences based on exposure to ALM during training, practice setting, or percent of skin of color patients served. These findings highlight the lack of guidelines and the need for more data on outcomes to support optimal management of ALM. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing healthcare disparities and improving survival outcomes, particularly for ethnic minorities affected by ALM. Consensus guidelines could help standardize treatment approaches and potentially reduce disparities in ALM management.

Disease-specific survival of malignant melanoma after Mohs micrographic surgery is not impacted by initial margins: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: During Mohs surgery for melanoma, evidence has demonstrated that many surgeons opt for smaller initial margins than traditionally recommended (0.5 cm for in situ and 1 cm for invasive). Literature regarding surgical outcomes based on initial margin is sparse. Objective: To determine differences in disease-specific survival of melanoma after Mohs micrographic surgery for varied initial surgical margins. Methods: A literature search was conducted on February 14, 2022, from MEDLINE via PubMed (1946-present), Embase (1974-present), Central (1991-present), and Scopus (1960-present). The primary outcome was disease-specific mortality. Results: Nineteen studies were included for final analysis. The overall disease-specific mortality rate of melanoma in all included studies was 0.5% (CI, 0.1-0.8; P, .010). Disease-specific mortality for 1 to 5, 5, and 6 to 10 mm categories were 0.4% (CI, 0.0-0.9; P, .074), 0.7% (CI, 0.2-1.3; P, .2-1.3), and 0.4% (CI, -0.9 to 1.8; P, .524), respectively. None of the variances across initial margin categories were statistically significant. Limitations: Early-stage melanomas have low overall mortality rates. In our associated article, initial margins of 5 to 10 mm were shown to have the lowest rates of local recurrence. Conclusions: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, melanoma-specific mortality was not significantly impacted by the initial surgical margin taken during Mohs micrographic surgery.

Eosinophils in metastatic melanoma.

The potential significance of tissue eosinophils melanomas is unknown. We strove to determine a potential association between the presence of tissue eosinophils and prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma (MM). A retrospective electronic data base was queried to identify patients (age ≥18 years) evaluated January 1, 2011-October 1, 2022 (inclusive) at our multi-site medical center, who had metastatic melanoma and at least 1 biopsy of melanoma or a melanocytic nevus that was reported to show eosinophils. Patient demographics, histopathological tumor features, AJCC classification parameters, and peripheral blood eosinophilia (PBE) obtained during the patients' routine care were recorded. Seven patients met inclusion criteria had checkpoint inhibitor therapy for MM; 4/7 had prominent eosinophil infiltrates among their melanocytic nevi or/and melanomas, and all had absent or less than predicted tumor progression. In our small cohort of patients undergoing immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, the presence of tissue eosinophils among nevi or melanomas was associated with a favorable response. While lymphocytes have been considered key in the host response to melanoma, the role of eosinophils may be underappreciated.

Increasing Incidence and Decreasing Mortality of Cutaneous Melanoma in Middle-Aged Adults: An Epidemiologic Study in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in the incidence and mortality of cutaneous melanoma in the fastest-growing segment of the US population, middle-aged adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, patients aged 40 to 60 years with a first lifetime diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2020, while a resident of Olmsted County, Minnesota, were identified. RESULTS: A total of 858 patients with a primary cutaneous first-time melanoma were identified. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate increased from 8.6 (95% CI, 3.9 to 13.3) per 100,000 person-years in 1970-1979 to 99.1 (95% CI, 89.5 to 108.7) per 100,000 person-years in 2011-2020 (11.6-fold increase). There was a 52.1-fold increase in women and a 6.3-fold increase in men between these 2 periods. In recent years (2005-2009 vs 2015-2020), the incidence has stabilized in men (1.01-fold increase; P=.96) and continues to significantly increase in women (1.5-fold increase; P=.002). Among 659 patients with invasive melanoma, 43 deaths were due to melanoma, and male sex was significantly associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.45 to 6.00). A more recent diagnosis of melanoma was significantly associated with a decreased risk of death due to melanoma (hazard ratio, 0.66 per 5-year increase in calendar year of diagnosis; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.75). CONCLUSION: Melanoma incidence has significantly increased since 1970. During the past 15 years, the incidence has continued to rise in middle-aged women (approximately 50% rise in incidence) but has stabilized in men. Mortality decreased in a linear fashion throughout this time.