title: Reasons for excision of skin tumors: a one-year prospective study in a tertiary skin cancer unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biopsies and surgical excisions represent routine procedures in clinical settings dealing with skin cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of clinical examination, dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy and digital monitoring on the decision to excise or biopsy a lesion in routine practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients scheduled for biopsy or excision of a skin lesion were prospectively enrolled. The expert dermatologist was asked to select the main factor that prompted him/her to excise or biopsy the lesion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common reason for melanoma excision was clinical and dermoscopic morphology (70.3%), followed by dermoscopy (11.4%), monitoring (8.9%) and clinical context (8.2%). Most basal and squamous cell carcinomas were recognized both clinically and dermoscopically, while 18.6 and 15.0%, respectively, could only be detected with dermoscopic examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each part of the clinical examination has a contributory role in the diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancers.
authors: Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: Aimilios
authors: A
authors: Lallas
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Longo
authors: Elvira
authors: E
authors: Moscarella
authors: Mara
authors: M
authors: Lombardi
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Specchio
authors: Margherita
authors: M
authors: Raucci
authors: Iris
authors: I
authors: Zalaudek
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Argenziano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D057832:Watchful Waiting; D055815:Young Adult