A study conducted on patients with invasive melanoma found that tumor upstaging led to higher mortality rates, with upstaged tumors showing a 36% mortality rate compared to 19.5% in non-upstaged tumors. Factors contributing to upstaging included older age, male sex, non-White race, location on the head or neck, larger clinical size, and longer time from biopsy to excision. Despite the need for re-excision in some cases, only 20.83% of tumors underwent additional surgery. The study suggests that incomplete medical and surgical management may contribute to the poor prognosis among upstaged melanomas and emphasizes the importance of following updated guidelines for management.
Source link
Medical mismanagement may contribute to worse survival outcomes for invasive melanoma
