Prognostic significance and clinicopathological association of tumor budding and poorly differentiated clusters in cutaneous malignant melanoma.

This study examined the prognostic significance of tumor budding (TB) and poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) in 232 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma (CM). Through retrospective analysis and Cox regression models, TB-3 and ulceration were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival, while AJCC stage IV and PDCs were associated with progression-free survival. Additionally, factors such as ulceration, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, TB-3, PDCs, non-brisk tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and Breslow thickness were significantly linked to prognosis. A nomogram developed from these findings demonstrated strong predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.839). The results suggest that incorporating TB and PDCs into the current CM staging systems could enhance risk stratification and clinical decision-making.