Stage I cutaneous malignant melanoma: risk factors of loco-regional recurrence after wide local excision and clinical perspectives.

Two hundred and nineteen patients admitted to the Centre Claudius Regaud over a 14-year period for a stage I cutaneous malignant melanoma were retrospectively evaluated for loco-regional recurrence rates, risk factors and survival rates following wide primary excision. Five and 8 year survival rates corrected for deaths owing to concurrent illness were 77% and 73%. The loco-regional control rate was 69% (151/219). Distant metastases occurred in 59% (40/68) of patients who had a loco-regional recurrence, versus 11% (16/151) of patients when loco-regional control was obtained (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis was used to ascertain which risk factors act independently as predictors of poor loco-regional control. Anatomical location of the primary ('head and neck-trunk-hands and feet' vs 'proximal limb') and thickness formed the best model in this respect among 11 prognostic factors studied. Since loco-regional recurrence may be associated with an increased risk of distant metastatic disease, we advocate the use of elective regional lymph node dissection in stage I patients at high risk of loco-regional recurrence in the hope that a portion of these patients may have increased survival owing to lack of development of widespread metastases.