[Malignant melanoma: prognostic evaluation using correlation coefficients].

Many of the clinical and histological variables of malignant melanoma are correlated with each other. This interaction can be examined with simple and partial correlation coefficients. The exophytic growth of the melanoma, the level of invasion, the melanoma type of Clark, and the predominating cell type are correlated with the thickness of the tumor. These variables do not influence the patient's survival in tumors with the same thickness. Sex of the patient and ulceration and diameter of the melanoma are independent variables which are not correlated with the tumor thickness. They influence the patient's survival for tumors of the same thickness. The site of origin of the melanoma is not related to the tumor thickness but to the sex of the patient. The influence on the survival of this variable is controversial.