The following is a summary of “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 on the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of invasive cutaneous melanoma: A retrospective national cohort study,” published in the DECEMBER 2023 issue of Dermatology by Xiong, et al.

For a retrospective cohort study, researchers sought to provide a detailed characterization of patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, building on prior evidence that suggested an association with more advanced disease stages.

The study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) registry and focused on individuals diagnosed with melanoma between 2018 and 2020. A thorough analysis was performed to investigate clinical and demographic factors, including Breslow depth, ulceration rates, tumor nodularity, and disease stage at diagnosis. The study also examined potential influences such as treatment delays, socio-economic status, urban residence, primary surgical interventions, and survival outcomes.

Patients diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 exhibited a concerning trend towards increased Breslow depth, higher ulceration rates, nodular tumor characteristics, and advanced disease stages compared to prior years. Intriguingly, despite experiencing fewer treatment delays, this cohort was more likely to come from wealthier urban areas. Primary surgical treatments, particularly Mohs surgery, were more frequently employed in 2020. However, the diagnosis year did not correlate significantly with overall or disease-specific survival. Notably, there was a noticeable 15.5% reduction in melanoma diagnoses in 2020, potentially linked to delayed presentations during the pandemic.

Patients diagnosed with melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 demonstrated a worrisome pattern of advanced disease characteristics. Despite this, the observed trends did not translate into survival differences. The study underscored the necessity for further investigations to comprehensively understand the implications and outcomes for individuals diagnosed with melanoma during the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)02595-1/fulltext