Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of malignant melanoma: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced health care services all around the globe, which is also reflected in the diagnosis and management of malignant melanoma (MM). OBJECTIVES: We performed a retrospective assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of MM in order to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on MM care. MATERIALS & METHODS: The Breslow thickness of excised MM and total number of patients with newly diagnosed MM who underwent surgery during the first year of the pandemic (March, 2020 to February, 2021; 227 subjects) were compared relative to a control period the year before (March, 2019 to February, 2020; 201 subjects), based on a retrospective study design. RESULTS: There was no significant decrease in the total number of excisions (227 subjects in the pre-COVID cohort vs. 201 in the COVID cohort). However, the mean Breslow thickness increased significantly from 1.1 ± 1.4 mm in the pre-COVID group to 1.8 ± 2.3 mm in the COVID group. CONCLUSION: We conclude that, due to several restrictions in the early phase of the pandemic, melanomas were diagnosed at a more advanced stage.