Recurrence of thin melanoma: how effective is follow-up?
Br J Plast Surg
; 49(6): 409-13, 1996 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8881790
ABSTRACT
In order to assess the benefit to patients with thin malignant melanoma (< 0.76 mm) of a 5-year clinical follow-up programme, we have studied 602 patients with a minimum time from primary surgery of 5 years. Tumour recurrence occurred in 24 patients (4% of all patients) but only five surgically treatable recurrences (< 1% of all patients) occurred within the 5-year period following primary surgery. After 5 years there were four surgically treatable recurrences, but their prognosis was generally poor. The remaining cases of tumour recurrence were not surgically treatable. In the face of an increasing incidence of melanoma, and the accompanying increase in demand for surgical treatment and outpatient review, we question the need for prolonged hospital follow-up of thin melanoma.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Skin Neoplasms
/
Long-Term Care
/
Melanoma
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Br J Plast Surg
Year:
1996
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Reino Unido