RECURRENCE OF THIN MELANOMA - HOW EFFECTIVE IS FOLLOW-UP

In order to assess the benefit to patients with thin malignant melanom a (< 0.76 mm) of a 5-year clinical follow-up programme, we have studie d 602 patients with a minimum time from primary surgery of 5 years. Tu mour recurrence occurred in 24 patients (4% of all patients) but only five surgically treatable recurrences (<1% of all patients) occurred w ithin the 5-year period following primary surgery. After 5 years there were four surgically treatable recurrences, but their prognosis was g enerally poor. The remaining cases of tumour recurrence were not surgi cally treatable. In the face of an increasing incidence of melanoma, a nd the accompanying increase in demand for surgical treatment and outp atient review, we question the need for prolonged hospital follow-up o f thin melanoma.