The diagnosis and initial management of melanoma in Australia: findings from the prospective, population-based QSkin study

Objectives: To determine the proportions of newly diagnosed melanomas treated by different medical specialist types, to describe the types of excisions performed, and to investigate factors associated with treating practitioner specialty and excision type. Design, setting: Prospective cohort study; analysis of linked data: baseline surveys, hospital, pathology, Queensland Cancer Register, and Medical Benefits Schedule databases. Participants: Random sample of 43 764 Queensland residents aged 40- 69 years recruited during 2011, with initial diagnoses of in situ or invasive melanoma diagnosed to 31 December 2019. Main outcome measures: Treating practitioner type and treatment modality for first incident melanoma; second and subsequent treatment events for the primary melanoma. Results: During a median follow-up of 8.4 years (interquartile range, 8.3- 8.8 years), 1683 eligible participants (720 women, 963 men) developed at least one primary melanoma (in situ melanoma, 1125; invasive melanoma, 558), 1296 of which (77.1%) were initially managed in primary care; 248 were diagnosed by dermatologists (14.8%), 83 by plastic surgeons (4.9%), 43 by general surgeons (2.6%), and ten by other specialists (0.6%). The most frequent initial procedures leading to histologically confirmed melanoma diagnosis were first excision (854, 50.7%), shave biopsy (549, 32.6%), and punch biopsy (178, 10.6%); 1339 melanomas (79.6%) required two procedures, 187 (11.1%) three. Larger proportions of melanomas diagnosed by dermatologists (87%) or plastic surgeons (71%) were in people living in urban areas than of those diagnosed in primary care (63%); larger proportions of melanomas diagnosed by dermatologists or plastic surgeons than of those diagnosed in primary care were in people with university degrees (45%, 42% v 23%) or upper quartile clinical risk scores (63%, 59% v47%). Conclusions: Most incident melanomas in Queensland are diagnosed in primary care, and nearly half are initially managed by partial excision (shave or punch biopsy). Second or third, wider excisions are undertaken in about 90% of cases.

Automated summary

This study aimed to determine the proportions of newly diagnosed melanomas treated by different medical specialist types, describe the types of excisions performed, and investigate factors associated with treating practitioner specialty and excision type. The results showed that most melanomas were diagnosed in primary care, and nearly half of the cases were initially managed by partial excision (shave or punch biopsy). Second or third, wider excisions were undertaken in about 90% of cases.