[Detection of the first recurrence in patients with melanoma: three quarters by the patient, one quarter during outpatient follow-up].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the benefit of frequent outpatient follow-up after the initial diagnosis and treatment of melanoma.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Patients from the Groningen University Medical Centre with a first recurrence ofa previously treated primary melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I-III) were interviewed to determine how many of them had detected the recurrence themselves. Patient data and recurrence characteristics were compared with data from a previous Australian study in order to evaluate the differences between the Dutch and the Australian population.


RESULTS
70 patients with a first recurrence of melanoma were studied. Of the 70 first recurrences, 53 (76%) had been detected by the patient; 10% of the patients had a sign or symptom, but did not detect the recurrence themselves; 11% of the first recurrences were detected as a consequence of self-examination. The proportion of detection by the patient versus detection by a doctor was roughly equal in the Dutch and Australian populations.


CONCLUSIONS
Three quarters of the first recurrences of a treated melanoma had been detected by the patients themselves, the largest number by accident and only 11% by self-examination. It is not likely that the continuation of frequent follow-up visits will contribute to the detection of recurrences. These findings are no different from the results in the Australian population.
Francken
A B
AB
Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, afd. Chirurgische Oncologie, Postbus 30.000, 9700 RB Groningen.
Thompson
J F
JF
Bastiaannet
E
E
Hoekstra
H J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016353:Self-Examination; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology