OBJECTIVE: To identify doctor and patient characteristics associated with excision of benign versus malignant pigmented skin lesions. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective audit of data on 4741 pigmented skin lesions excised from November 1998 to February 2000 by 468 general practitioners (39% response rate) from 223 practices in Perth, WA. (The data used were from the baseline period of a randomised controlled trial of a diagnostic aid for pigmented skin lesions.) MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number needed to treat (NNT), defined as the number of pigmented lesions needed to be excised to identify one melanoma, in relation to demographic characteristics of GPs and patients. RESULTS: Relatively more benign lesions were excised per melanoma (NNT = 83) in the youngest patients (aged 10-19 years) compared with the oldest (aged > or = 70) (NNT = 11) (P [trend] < 0.001), in females (NNT = 37) compared with males (NNT = 23) (P = 0.02), and in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged (NNT = 60) compared with the least disadvantaged group (NNT = 20) (P [trend] < 0.001). The most recently graduated GPs excised more benign lesions for each melanoma (NNT = 59) than the least recently graduated (NNT = 22) (P [trend] = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: GPs could raise their threshold for excising pigmented lesions in patients who are young, female, or from areas of low socioeconomic status, or if the GPs themselves are recent graduates.
OBJECTIVE: To identify doctor and patient characteristics associated with excision of benign versus malignant pigmented skin lesions. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective audit of data on 4741 pigmented skin lesions excised from November 1998 to February 2000 by 468 general practitioners (39% response rate) from 223 practices in Perth, WA. (The data used were from the baseline period of a randomised controlled trial of a diagnostic aid for pigmented skin lesions.) MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number needed to treat (NNT), defined as the number of pigmented lesions needed to be excised to identify one melanoma, in relation to demographic characteristics of GPs and patients. RESULTS: Relatively more benign lesions were excised per melanoma (NNT = 83) in the youngest patients (aged 10-19 years) compared with the oldest (aged > or = 70) (NNT = 11) (P [trend] < 0.001), in females (NNT = 37) compared with males (NNT = 23) (P = 0.02), and in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged (NNT = 60) compared with the least disadvantaged group (NNT = 20) (P [trend] < 0.001). The most recently graduated GPs excised more benign lesions for each melanoma (NNT = 59) than the least recently graduated (NNT = 22) (P [trend] = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: GPs could raise their threshold for excising pigmented lesions in patients who are young, female, or from areas of low socioeconomic status, or if the GPs themselves are recent graduates.
Authors: D Bonucchi; J Piattoni; F Ravera; A M Savazzi; G Cappelli; N Pimpinelli; P A Modesti Journal: Intern Emerg Med Date: 2007-12 Impact factor: 3.397
Authors: Xu Feng; Austin J Moy; Hieu T M Nguyen; Jason Zhang; Matthew C Fox; Katherine R Sebastian; Jason S Reichenberg; Mia K Markey; James W Tunnell Journal: Biomed Opt Express Date: 2017-05-04 Impact factor: 3.732
Authors: Centaine L Snoswell; Liam J Caffery; Jennifer A Whitty; H Peter Soyer; Louisa G Gordon Journal: JAMA Dermatol Date: 2018-06-01 Impact factor: 10.282
Authors: Jacqueline Dinnes; Jonathan J Deeks; Naomi Chuchu; Rubeta N Matin; Kai Yuen Wong; Roger Benjamin Aldridge; Alana Durack; Abha Gulati; Sue Ann Chan; Louise Johnston; Susan E Bayliss; Jo Leonardi-Bee; Yemisi Takwoingi; Clare Davenport; Colette O'Sullivan; Hamid Tehrani; Hywel C Williams Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-12-04
Authors: Jacqueline Dinnes; Jonathan J Deeks; Matthew J Grainge; Naomi Chuchu; Lavinia Ferrante di Ruffano; Rubeta N Matin; David R Thomson; Kai Yuen Wong; Roger Benjamin Aldridge; Rachel Abbott; Monica Fawzy; Susan E Bayliss; Yemisi Takwoingi; Clare Davenport; Kathie Godfrey; Fiona M Walter; Hywel C Williams Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-12-04