Clinicopathological correlates of primary cutaneous melanoma: A cross-sectional analysis of 318 lesions from a tertiary center in western Türkiye

Abstract

Background: Melanoma of the skin is responsible for the majority of deaths related to skin cancer globally, and its occurrence has been increasing over the past decades. There are four major clinical subtypes of cutaneous melanoma: superficial spreading melanoma (SSM), nodular melanoma (NM), acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). The clinical and pathological features differ between melanoma subtypes. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare demographic and pathological features to provide additional data on melanoma. Methods: Patients who underwent excision at Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Türkiye, and were diagnosed with cutaneous malignant melanoma were searched in the pathology archive. Files covering the 20-year period from 2006 to 2025 were reviewed. The patients’ sex, age, melanoma clinical type, localization, and Breslow thickness were compared. Results: A total of 313 patients with 318 malignant melanomas were identified. Trunk distribution for men and leg and finger subungual locations for women were statistically significant (P<0.001). ALM type was the third most common type (18.2%), after SSM (36.8%) and NM (28.9%). The plantar region shares the second-most-common location (18.9%) with the trunk (18.9%), after the head and neck (30.2%). Conclusion: Melanoma occurred more frequently on the trunk in men and on the legs in women. Attention should also be given to the plantar region in addition to a thorough evaluation of all body regions. The higher incidence of finger subungual melanoma in women necessitates further research