Patients with precursor stage of malignant melanoma show better survival than people in general
alignant melanoma is the cancer type that show the largest increase in Sweden. A study from IGP shows that patients with a precursor stage of malignant melanoma have a significantly better survival than the population in general, despite an increased risk of being diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The results have been published in the journal eClinicalMedicine/The Lancet.
Several thousand people are diagnosed with a precursor stage of malignant melanoma every year. A common symptom is a birth mark that begins to grow, itch or change shape and colour. The study from IGP shows that both men and women with the precursor stage have a significantly better survival up to at least ten years after diagnosis compared to people in general, despite that they have an increased risk of getting malignant melanoma.
“The results are very positive for this patient group and should be included in the information to future patients. Most likely the reason for the lower mortality is that patients diagnosed the precursor stage lead a healthier life and contact a doctor sooner, and thereby receive earlier treatments for different diseases,” says Gustav Ullenhag, oncologist and professor at IGP, who led the study