title: [Improved compliance with the 'Melanoma' treatment guideline].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the level of compliance with the revised treatment guideline for melanoma (2005) and the extent to which the points of concern from the previous guideline evaluation in 2001 had been implemented.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The evaluation was performed using data from the pathology reports of patients diagnosed with melanoma of the skin between 1 April and 30 September 2007 at hospitals that fall under the Comprehensive Cancer Centres for the South and West of the Netherlands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 85% of the patients the melanoma was treated according to the guideline in two sessions: a diagnostic excision followed by a therapeutic re-excision. These figures were 69% for melanoma in situ, and 87% for invasive melanoma. The other patients were treated in one session. In the pathology reports of the patients with an invasive melanoma the rates of pathological documentation were: margin of the diagnostic excision: 64%, Breslow thickness: 97%, presence or absence of ulceration: 77%. In the Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre West Netherlands region, the margin of re-excision was determined: this margin satisfied the guideline in 86% of patients with an invasive melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to the previous guideline evaluation in 2001, the excision policy had improved. In the pathology report, the excision margin and the presence or absence of ulceration should be better documented.
authors.affiliation: Integraal Kankercentrum West, Leiden, afd. Kankerregistratie, The Netherlands. l.veerbeek@ikw.nl
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veerbeek
authors.forename: Lonneke V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: van de Poll-Franse
authors.forename: Marcel W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bekkenk
authors.forename: Wilma
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Harald J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: Marlies L E A
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jansen-Landheer
authors.forename: Wim H J
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kruit
authors.forename: Wolter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mooi
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Han J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van der Rhee
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003880:Dermatology / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000628:therapy*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009426:Netherlands; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*