Einstein (São Paulo) ()

Suspected melanoma only when the lesion is greater than 6mm may harm patients

  • Renato Santos de Oliveira Filho,
  • Daniel Arcuschin de Oliveira,
  • Murilo Costa Souza,
  • Mariane da Silva,
  • Mireille Darc Cavalcanti Brandão

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-45082015AO3436
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 4
pp. 506 – 509

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the distribution of larger diameter in the pathological report of cutaneous melanoma patients. Methods Data were obtained from patients seen from 1994 to 2015. Date, sex, age, maximum diameter, histological subtype, primary site, microscopic thickness, mitoses, ulceration, vertical growth phase, and regression were the variables studied. This study was approved by the National Ethics Committee - Brazil Platform. Patients were grouped into smaller diameter (≤6mm) and larger diameter (>6mm). The statistical analysis used the χ2test (p6mm). Out of 81 patients with smaller diameter, 29 had invasive melanoma, while 179 of the 211 with larger diameter were invasive. A difference was observed in frequency of vertical growth phase. Conclusion Pigmented skin lesions with diameter smaller than 6mm should not be an excluding factor for biopsies, especially when patients present risk of developing skin cancer.

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