title: Is long-term follow-up justified after excision of a thin melanoma (less than or equal to 1.5 mm)? A retrospective analysis of 206 patients.
abstract: From 1964 to 1988, 231 patients underwent local excision as the single treatment of melanoma with a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 mm. We investigated the prognostic value of several factors on cancer-specific survival and cancer-specific disease-free survival, from time of excision on, by performing life-table analysis on 206 evaluable patients. Recurrence developed in 11 patients; local recurrence occurred in four patients, hematogenic spread in three patients and lymph node metastases in another four patients. Six patients died as a result of the disease. Tumors with a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 mm have an excellent prognosis regardless of the localization of the melanoma. At 15 years cancer-specific survival was 92.3% and cancer-specific disease-free survival was 86.9%. Recurrence was successfully treated with hope for cure in 4 patients. This figures does not justify aggressive follow-up for all patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Welvaart
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate