Melanoma diagnoses in 2020 tend to have thicker, more advanced tumours

Diagnoses of invasive cutaneous melanoma in the year 2020 are characterized by thicker, more ulcerated, and more advanced tumours, a recent study has found. Of note, a 2020 diagnosis is not associated with survival.

Previous studies suggested that patients diagnosed with melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic presented with more advanced melanomas, according to the authors, who conducted this retrospective population-based cohort study to further describe this patient population.

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) registry was used to identify patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma from 2018‒2020.

Based on the review, melanoma patients who were diagnosed in 2020 tended to have increased Breslow depth, more ulceration, nodular tumours, and more advanced stage at diagnosis despite less treatment delays. They were also more likely to be from wealthier, more urban areas.

Among patients who underwent primary surgical treatment, Mohs surgery was the most preferred procedure. Notably, a melanoma diagnosis in the year 2020 did not show a significant association with overall or disease-specific survival.

This study was limited by short follow-up times, which could have implications for survival outcomes, and by the 15.5-percent drop in melanoma diagnoses in 2020 relative to previous years, which could relate to delayed presentation.

“Further studies are needed to characterize outcomes for patients diagnosed with melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors said.