Time to diagnosis, of melanoma: same trend in different continents
Blum, Andreas ; Ingvar, Christian LU ; Avramidis, Michelle ; von Kannen, Andreas ; Menzies, Scott W. ; Olsson, Håkan LU
; Rezze, Gisele G.
; Wennberg, Ann-Marie
and Westerhoff, Karin
(2007)
In Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery
11(4).
p.137-144
- Abstract
- Background: Patients and physicians both play an important role in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess important factors of delay in diagnosis at different centers and on three continents. Methods: Between October 2001 and October 2002, patients with histologically confirmed invasive melanoma were included in the study and given an established questionnaire. Recorded patients and tumor characteristics included age, sex, anatomic location, Breslow thickness, patients' awareness of the lesion and time with suspicion, and physicians' time (delay) before the operation. Results: The study included 985 patients (486 males, 499 females): 253 from Germany, 464 from Sweden, 58 from Brazil, and 210... (More)
- Background: Patients and physicians both play an important role in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess important factors of delay in diagnosis at different centers and on three continents. Methods: Between October 2001 and October 2002, patients with histologically confirmed invasive melanoma were included in the study and given an established questionnaire. Recorded patients and tumor characteristics included age, sex, anatomic location, Breslow thickness, patients' awareness of the lesion and time with suspicion, and physicians' time (delay) before the operation. Results: The study included 985 patients (486 males, 499 females): 253 from Germany, 464 from Sweden, 58 from Brazil, and 210 from Australia. More females detected their lesions by themselves. The change to a darker color (21%) and enlargement of the area of the lesion (19%) were the major signs. The highest knowledge among patients that early detection may improve the outcome was found in Sweden and Australia. At each center, the media (newspaper, magazine, radio, and television) provided the best sources of information about melanoma. Twenty to 33% of all physicians initially consulted missed the melanoma diagnosis, independent of their specialty. Conclusions: There are still factors for the delay in melanoma diagnosis in different countries and continents, but the differences are rather small. The results should be included in planning prevention campaigns in this specific field and in the education of medical students, physicians of all specialties, and other health professionals. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/657226
- author
- Blum, Andreas
; Ingvar, Christian
LU
; Avramidis, Michelle
; von Kannen, Andreas
; Menzies, Scott W.
; Olsson, Håkan
LU
; Rezze, Gisele G.
; Wennberg, Ann-Marie
and Westerhoff, Karin
- organization
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 137 - 144
- publisher
- BC Decker
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000249496100003
- scopus:38449089989
- ISSN
- 1203-4754
- DOI
- 10.2310/7750.2007.00023
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 01465963-35f5-4d42-8255-db1a5bb7d275 (old id 657226)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 15:43:17
- date last changed
- 2022-03-22 05:50:00
@article{01465963-35f5-4d42-8255-db1a5bb7d275,
abstract = {{Background: Patients and physicians both play an important role in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess important factors of delay in diagnosis at different centers and on three continents. Methods: Between October 2001 and October 2002, patients with histologically confirmed invasive melanoma were included in the study and given an established questionnaire. Recorded patients and tumor characteristics included age, sex, anatomic location, Breslow thickness, patients' awareness of the lesion and time with suspicion, and physicians' time (delay) before the operation. Results: The study included 985 patients (486 males, 499 females): 253 from Germany, 464 from Sweden, 58 from Brazil, and 210 from Australia. More females detected their lesions by themselves. The change to a darker color (21%) and enlargement of the area of the lesion (19%) were the major signs. The highest knowledge among patients that early detection may improve the outcome was found in Sweden and Australia. At each center, the media (newspaper, magazine, radio, and television) provided the best sources of information about melanoma. Twenty to 33% of all physicians initially consulted missed the melanoma diagnosis, independent of their specialty. Conclusions: There are still factors for the delay in melanoma diagnosis in different countries and continents, but the differences are rather small. The results should be included in planning prevention campaigns in this specific field and in the education of medical students, physicians of all specialties, and other health professionals.}},
author = {{Blum, Andreas and Ingvar, Christian and Avramidis, Michelle and von Kannen, Andreas and Menzies, Scott W. and Olsson, Håkan and Rezze, Gisele G. and Wennberg, Ann-Marie and Westerhoff, Karin}},
issn = {{1203-4754}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{137--144}},
publisher = {{BC Decker}},
series = {{Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery}},
title = {{Time to diagnosis, of melanoma: same trend in different continents}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2310/7750.2007.00023}},
doi = {{10.2310/7750.2007.00023}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2007}},
}