Prognostic risk factors of first recurrence in patients with primary stages I–II cutaneous malignant melanoma – from the population‐based Swedish melanoma register

Abstract

Tumour thickness was found to be the predominant risk factor for recurrence. The prognostic factors for recurrence coincided with prognostic factors for CMM death. The most common site of first recurrence in stages I-II CMM is regional lymph node (42.8%) closely followed by distant metastases (37.6%), a fact which has to be taken into consideration when choosing follow-up strategies.