Thickness and Diameter in Melanoma: Is There a Relation?. Issue 1 (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Crocetti, Emanuele; Fancelli, Laura; Caldarella, Adele; Buzzoni, Carlotta
• Is Part Of: Tumori. Volume 102:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: e1
• Page End: e3
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Diagnosis -- Diameter -- Population-based -- Skin melanoma; Cancer -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.5301/tj.5000369
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-8916

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between diameter and Breslow's thickness in skin melanoma. Methods: 2, 071 skin melanomas incident in the area of activity of the Tuscany Cancer Registry (central Italy) were analyzed. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient r was computed between diameter and Breslow's thickness. Results: There was a statistically significant, but rather small, correlation between diameter and Breslow (r = 0.39). The same was true for men and women, for older and younger patients, and for skin subsites. 22.3% of the examined skin melanomas had a diameter ≤6 mm. Conclusions: There was a statistically significant, but small, correlation between Breslow's thickness and diameter in skin melanomas. Moreover, a non-negligible proportion of small lesions were thick and/or nodular.