AB198. 232. The 5-year experience of cutaneous melanoma in UHL

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is rising in Europe. The National Cancer Registry of Ireland report 100,000 new cases per year, representing 5.2% of all invasive cancers, making it the 4th most common cancer in Ireland. In a pT1a lesion the use of sentinel node is controversial. While it may provide prognostic information, its impact on disease free or disease specific survival is yet to be established.

Methods: We evaluated the 5-year experience of cutaneous melanoma presenting to University Hospital Limerick (UHL). We analysed 361 patients from prospectively maintained databases of surgical and dermatology departments. Supplemental data was obtained from theatre logbooks, histology reports and clinical notes to identify patient demographics, clinical pathology and management including wide local excision, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and nodal dissection.

Results: The results showed an equal incidence between men and women (50.1% and 49.8% respectively), with an average age of 65.9 years. The most common subtypes identified were superficial spreading (29.3%) and Lentigo melanoma (28.8%), and the most commonly affected sited were the head and neck (18%), the upper limb (12.6%) and the back (8.4%). Of the recorded cases, the most common stage was pT1 (76.6%), the majority being pT1a. Stage pT2 lesions accounted for 10.9%, 5.5% were pT3 and 6.5% were pT4. Of the 139 pT1a lesions recorded, 7 had SLNB all of which were negative.

Conclusions: There continues to be an increase of cutaneous melanoma presenting to UHL. The results are in keeping with international trends. Further studies are needed to establish the benefit, if any of SLNB in T1 thickness melanoma.

Keywords: Melanoma; cutaneous; 5-year; experience