title: Biopsy and optimal size of margins of resection of primary cutaneous malignant melanomas.
abstract: Cox's multivariate regression analysis for survival data was applied to facts in 1,469 clinical Stage 1 cutaneous malignant melanomas without areas of regression in order to evaluate the prognostic value of size of margins of resection and preliminary biopsy as well as sex and age of patients when accounting for variables previously shown as independent risk factors, i.e., site of lesion, thickness of lesion, level of invasion, number of mitotic figures, ulceration, lymphocytic infiltration, and predominant type of neoplastic cell. These variables were also found to be independent risk factors together with sex of patient in the present study. In contrast, size of margins of resection, preliminary biopsies, and ages of patients were found to be without prognostic significance.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008938:Mitosis; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000473:pathology