The magnitude of COVID-19's effect on the timely management of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers

Abstract

5. Guilpain P, Le Bihan C, Foulongne V, et al. Response to: 'Severe COVID-19 associated pneumonia in 3 patients with systemic sclerosis treated with rituximab' by Avouac et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020.

Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on melanoma diagnosis

“…No difference in the distribution of cases according to Breslow thickness categories was documented in the logistic regression analysis. Our data document that a significant reduction in MM new diagnoses has occurred following the COVID-19 pandemic, similarly to what has been reported for other cancers, [7][8][9] potentially causing an increase of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs, which could not be quantified at this stage. 10 The number of missed expected cases, based on an estimated 3.4% annual change of melanoma incidence from Veneto regional data, is shown as well.…”

Changes in melanoma care practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-institutional cross-sectional survey

“…New melanoma patient in-person visits were reduced significantly, which was not offset by the increase in telemedicine appointments. Asymptomatic follow-up visits were largely deferred, whereas appointments for those with concerning Overall, these delays are in-line with prior publication of estimated diagnostic delays associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [5]. Based on a previously published mean melanoma growth rate (0.11mm/month), our observed delays in screening follow-up patients for new melanoma diagnoses could potentially cause an estimated mean 0.28 mm increase in tumor thickness [6].…”

COVID-19-Induced Reduction in Primary Melanoma Diagnoses: Experience from a Dermatopathology Referral Center

“…This observation is consistent with other reports describing a clear drop of patient encounters in all levels of the health care system [ 3 ]. Marson et al reported that the number of newly diagnosed cutaneous melanomas dropped by 43.1% during the COVID-19 peak in 2020 (compared to 2019) [ 9 ]. The changes observed during the lockdown period by these authors are comparable to our results, with a 44% and 58% drop in melanoma diagnoses compared to 2018 and 2019, respectively.…”