Aspects of surgical treatment for malignant melanoma: the place of biopsy and wide excision.

Biopsy of melanoma is discussed in respect of the operator, the adequacy of biopsy, and the time delay till wide excision; statistics are taken from a series of 509 patients with this disease who had their definitive surgery and review at the Peter MacCallum Clinic between 1954 and 1973. Wide excision is described in respect of its origins and its proponents, and discussion draws on appropriate material from the series.