Excisional biopsy as the first therapeutic procedure versus primary wide excision of malignant melanoma.

The five-year disease-free rate (5-y-DFR) and five-year survival rate (5-y-SR) of 319 melanoma patients with a narrow excisional biopsy in local anesthesia as the first procedure followed by delayed wide excision, were compared with 5-y-DFR and 5-y-SR of 635 primary radically treated patients. Five-y-DFR and 5-y-SR did not differ in either group of patients. Furthermore, the time interval (less than or equal to 21 days versus greater than 21 days) between excisional biopsy and delayed wide excision had no influence on the outcome of the patients. Based on the results of the study and the literature, excisional biopsy of malignant melanoma followed by delayed wide excision is a safe procedure.