Thicker Melanoma Tumor Size Tied to Higher Risk of 20-Year Melanoma-Related Death
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Dec. 13, 2024 -- Risk of 20-year melanoma-related death increases significantly for patients with primary tumors of 0.8 to 1.0 mm in thickness, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in JAMA Dermatology.
Serigne N. Lo, Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, and colleagues assessed the relative effect of a 0.8-mm Breslow thickness threshold with respect to the incidence of both melanoma-related and nonmelanoma-related death. Analysis included registry data for 144,447 individuals diagnosed with thin invasive primary melanomas between 1982 and 2014.
The researchers found that crude incidence rates of melanoma-related death 20 years after diagnosis were 6.3 percent for the whole cohort, 6.0 percent for tumors <0.8 mm, and 12.0 percent for tumors 0.8 to 1.0 mm. The corresponding 20-year melanoma-specific survival rates were 91.9 percent overall and 94.2 and 87.8 percent, respectively, across tumor sizes. Tumor thickness of 0.8 to 1.0 mm was significantly associated with both a greater absolute risk of melanoma-related death (subdistribution hazard ratio, 2.92), as well as a greater rate of melanoma-related death (hazard ratio, 2.98), compared to thinner tumors (<0.8 mm). There was no association seen between risk of death from nonmelanoma-related causes and Breslow thickness.
"The findings of this large-scale population-based analysis suggest the separation of risk for patients with melanomas with a Breslow thickness above and below 0.8 mm," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...
Firefighters Face Elevated Mortality Rates for Skin and Kidney Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- Occupation as a firefighter is associated with elevated cancer mortality, especially for skin and kidney cancer, according to a study published online July...
New Subtype of Diabetes Identified in Sub-Saharan Africans, Black Americans
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- A new diabetes subtype has been identified in Sub-Saharan Africans and Black Americans, according to a study published online July 21 in The Lancet...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.