Did COVID-19 lockdown delay actually worsen melanoma prognosis?
An Bras Dermatol
; 98(2): 176-180, 2023.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36567164
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 lockdown possibly meant a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and therefore, worsening its prognosis. This unique situation of diagnosis deferral is an exceptional opportunity to investigate melanoma biology.OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the immediate and mid-term impact of diagnosis delay on melanoma.METHODS:
A retrospective observational study of melanoma diagnosed between March 14th 2019 and March 13th 2021. We compared the characteristics of melanomas diagnosed during the first 6-month period after the lockdown instauration and a second period after recovery of normal activity with the same periods of the previous year, respectively.RESULTS:
A total of 119 melanomas were diagnosed. There were no differences in age, sex, incidence, location, presence of ulceration or mitoses, and in situ/invasive melanoma rate (p>0.05). After the recovery of the normal activity, Breslow thickness increased in comparison with the previous year (2.4 vs 1.9mm, p<0.05) resulting in a significant upstaging according to the AJCC 8th ed. (p<0.05). STUDYLIMITATIONS:
The main limitation is that this is a single-center study.CONCLUSIONS:
The COVID-19 lockdown implied a diagnosis delay leading to a mid-term increase in Breslow thickness and an upstaging of invasive melanomas. However, the detection deferral did not result in a higher progression of in situ to invasive melanoma, in our sample.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Neoplasias Cutáneas
/
COVID-19
/
Melanoma
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
An Bras Dermatol
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article