Open AccessMelanoma in Singapore: A 20-year review of disease and treatment outcomes
Author(s) -
Pei Ming Yeo,
Ziying Vanessa Lim,
Wei Tan,
Xiahong Zhao,
Hui Yi Chia,
Suat Hoon Tan,
Melissa Ching Ching Teo,
Melissa Wee Ping Tan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
annals, academy of medicine, singapore/annals of the academy of medicine, singapore
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.299
H-Index - 60
ISSN - 0304-4602
DOI - 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2020535
Subject(s) - medicine , acral lentiginous melanoma , breslow thickness , melanoma , dermatology , epidemiology , nodular melanoma , retrospective cohort study , population , confidence interval , superficial spreading melanoma , disease , cancer , breast cancer , sentinel lymph node , environmental health , cancer research
Melanomas in Asians have different clinicopathological characteristics and prognosisfrom melanomas in Caucasians. This study reviewed the epidemiology and treatment outcomes ofcutaneous melanoma diagnosed at a tertiary referral dermatology centre in Singapore, which has amultiracial population. The study also determined whether Asians had comparable relapse-free andoverall survival periods to Caucasians in Singapore.Method: This is a retrospective review of cutaneous melanoma cases in our centre between 1996and 2015.Results: Sixty-two cases of melanoma were diagnosed in 61 patients: 72.6% occurred in Chinese, 19.4%in Caucasians and 3.2% in Indians, with an over-representation of Caucasians. Superficial spreadingmelanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma and nodular melanoma comprised 37.1%, 35.5% and 22.6%of the cases, respectively. The median time interval to diagnosis was longer in Asians than Caucasians;median Breslow’s thickness in Asians were significantly thicker than in Caucasians (2.6mm versus0.9mm, P=0.018) and Asians tend to present at a later stage. The mortality rates for Asians andCaucasians were 52% and 0%, respectively.Conclusion: More physician and patient education on skin cancer awareness is needed in ourAsian-predominant population for better outcomes.Keywords: Asian, melanoma, nails, skin neoplasm, survival