title: [Manifestations of the "pretherapeutic phase" of malignant melanoma of the skin in Switzerland 1996-1998].
abstract: 62 patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma were interviewed from 1996 to 1998. Lesions were found mostly on patients backs (30.6%) and they were noted most frequently because of a change in colour (darker) (50%) and increase in size (43.5%). The median time between first noticing the melanoma and visiting a physician was one month, but for 28% of the patients it was more than three months. The median time between a medical examination and surgical removal was shorter than one month, but for 22% of the patients it was more than three months. Patients with bleeding lesions sought medical help later (14 months). Misdiagnosis led to a six months delay in treatment and if no action was taken there was a 13 months delay.
authors.affiliation: Dermatologische Klinik, Universitätsspital Zürich.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schnorf
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Helfenstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ellwanger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dummer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013557:Switzerland