Cutaneous Melanoma at initial diagnosis in the male population. The experience of one center in Bucharest, Romania.

In 2022, 2247 patients were diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in Romania, According to the European Cancer Information System estimates(1).
Cutaneous melanoma is an important public health concern, and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Understanding the characteristics of patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma is essential for improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
This current investigation constitutes a retrospective population-based cohort study. Data was retrieved from the database of our hospital in Bucharest. Patients selected from the database are male patients who were diagnosed primarily or were admitted for surgical treatment for cutaneous melanoma in the plastic surgery department of our hospital between January 2017 and December 2022. Patients with incomplete data were excluded from the study.
During this 6-year period, in our plastic surgery department, 66 male patients received surgical treatment for cutaneous melanoma. The most frequent involved sites for melanoma lesions are the posterior thorax - 37.9% of cases, the lower limbs – 21.2% of cases, and the head – 16.7% of cases, totalling 75.8%. Regarding the distribution of histological subtypes, superficial spreading melanoma was detected in 39.4% of cases and nodular melanoma was detected in 48.5% of cases, accounting for 87.9% of cases. Regarding TNM T classification, the majority of lesions were diagnosed in TNM T4 (T4a 9.1%, T4b 25.8%), T4b lesions accounting for the highest proportion. Breslow index analysis for 64 patients (2 patients with Tis excluded) yielded a mean of 5.3 mm, median of 3.2 mm, ranging from 0.3 mm to 32 mm.
The present study provides insights into the demographic and clinical characteristics of male patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in Bucharest, Romania. Results from this research demonstrate the need for education and prevention aimed at improving early detection of cutaneous melanoma in the Romanian male population.

References:
1. ECIS - European Cancer Information SystemFrom https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu, accessed on 09/02/2024r© European Union, 2024

Research and Technology

PSTM 2024