Exploring the Physiological and Demographic Traits of Cutaneous Melanoma in the Romanian Population: A Six-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of 130 Patients.

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluates the demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in the Romanian population.

Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort study analyzed the histopathological parameters of primary cutaneous melanomas in 130 patients treated at the plastic surgery department of our hospital in Bucharest over a six-year period.

Results: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma in the cohort increased by approximately 15.6% annually, with a male predominance and a mean diagnosis age of 59.9 years. The majority (73.1%) of cases were within the 51-80 age group. Superficial spreading melanoma accounted for 52.3% of cases, followed by nodular melanoma at 35.4%. The mean Breslow index was 4.745 mm, and 35.4% of cases were diagnosed at stage T4. Spearman's rank correlation analysis demonstrated that the Breslow index was positively correlated with patient age (rho = 0.327, p < 0.001), indicating that older age is associated with higher Breslow index values. Males presented with higher tumor thickness and were diagnosed later than females, on average by a decade.

Conclusions: Cutaneous melanoma remains a high-risk malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality. Patients in Romania were diagnosed with thicker tumors compared to Western populations, potentially due to limited awareness and insufficient prevention strategies. These findings underscore the urgent need to improve early detection programs and public education on melanoma in Romania.