Arch Plast Surg.  2014 Mar;41(2):122-125. 10.5999/aps.2014.41.2.122.

Effect of Biopsy Technique on the Survival Rate of Malignant Melanoma Patients

Affiliations
  • 1Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Dermatology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan. ichiro.h@tokushima-u.ac.jp

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Cutaneous malignant melanoma has a poor prognosis. The detrimental effect of incisional biopsies on the outcome of malignant melanoma has been debated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the presence and type of biopsy on the prognosis of malignant melanoma.
METHODS
The medical records of 109 malignant melanoma patients treated at Tokushima University Hospital from 1983 to 2007 were reviewed. After excluding 28 cases with stage 0 disease or incomplete data, 81 cases were analyzed in detail with respect to patient sex, age, tumor site, clinical stage at diagnosis, presence of ulceration or lymph node metastasis, and prognosis. The five-year survival and five-year disease-free survival rates of patients who underwent incisional or excisional biopsies were compared with those who did not undergo a biopsy.
RESULTS
The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.19. The mean age was 61.3 years (range, 19-93 years). The most common site was a lower extremity, and the most common clinical stage was stage II. No significant differences in clinicopathological features, five-year survival rates, and five-year disease-free survival rates were observed among the three groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The presence and type of biopsy neither affected the metastatic rate nor the prognosis of malignant melanoma. The use of incisional biopsies is not encouraged because tumor thickness cannot be measured accurately. However, they may be helpful for confirming the diagnosis if an excisional biopsy cannot be performed.

Keyword

Melanoma; Prognosis; Survival rate

MeSH Terms

Biopsy*
Diagnosis
Disease-Free Survival
Humans
Lower Extremity
Lymph Nodes
Medical Records
Melanoma*
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prognosis
Survival Rate*
Ulcer
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