Role of physicians and patients in the diagnostic delay of cutaneous malignant melanoma.

The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma is increasing constantly. The most accurate prognostic factor of primary melanoma is thickness of the lesion according to Breslow. Information and screening campaigns for early diagnosis of melanoma are based on the assumption that tumor thickness is the consequence of a delay in diagnosis. However, the correlation of delay in diagnosis with prognosis remains controversial. In this report, the authors investigated the role of the physician and the patients in diagnostic delay in melanoma and areas in which improvement is needed. The reduction of the time to diagnosis in specific population groups may improve the prognosis of melanoma.