Changes in survival with clinical stage I malignant melanoma

Abstract
Inclusion of patients referred to our cancer center following recurrence, by retracing the history and characteristics of these patients back to when they were in stage I, produced a bias that lowered the estimated disease‐free survival rates. However, taking into consideration only patients referred and managed in our center when they had clinical stage I melanoma, significant differences in disease‐free survival over time were revealed <P = 0.03). Thus, the estimated five‐year disease‐free survival rate for 86 patients treated in the period 1971‐75 was 65%, whereas that from 115 patients treated in the period 1976‐80 was 81%. There was no significant increase in disease‐free survival for patients who had an elective node dissection in addition to wide excision.

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