The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on melanoma diagnoses

INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether governmental measures and lockdowns during the COVID‐19 pandemic had an impact on the number and histopathologic stages of melanoma. METHODS: The number and thickness (Breslow) of all diagnosed melanomas per day, month, or period at the ‘Institute for Pathology in the Centre’ in 2019 and 2020 were compared. For 2020, we defined four time periods: Period 1: 1 January–15 March; Period 2: 16 March–15 May (Lockdown 1); Period 3: 16 May–2 November; Period 4: 3 November–7 December (Lockdown 2). RESULTS: We found similar melanoma numbers in 2019 (577) and 2020 (608). The mean number of diagnoses per day during Lockdown 1 (Period 2) was significantly lower (0.87 melanomas/day; p = 0.005) when compared to the respective time periods in 2019 and to the other three periods in 2020 (Period 1: 1.65 melanomas/day, Period 3: 1.77 melanomas/day, and Period 4: 2.49 melanomas/day). Tumour thickness in July 2020 (1.9 mm) was significantly higher (p = 0.02) than in July 2019 (1.1 mm). DISCUSSION: The significant lower number of histopathologic diagnoses of melanoma during ‘Lockdown 1’ may be explained by postponed or missed patient consultations. This assumption is supported by the demonstration of a higher tumour thickness in July and August 2020, compared to 2019.