Impact of Surgical Delay on Prognosis in Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma: A Single‐Institution Retrospective Study in Japan

This study investigated the relationship between surgical interval and prognosis in Japanese patients with cutaneous melanoma. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 319 cases of Stage I-III primary cutaneous melanoma treated with curative surgery at Niigata Cancer Center Hospital between 1998 and 2020. Patients were stratified into two groups based on surgical interval: less than 30 days and 30 days or longer. The impact on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. Overall, no significant differences in RFS or OS were observed between the two groups. However, subgroup analysis by stage revealed a trend toward improved RFS and OS in Stage II patients with a surgical interval of less than 30 days, though this difference did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis did not identify surgical interval as an independent prognostic factor for RFS or OS. In conclusion, surgical interval did not significantly impact overall prognosis in this cohort. However, the observed trend in Stage II Japanese patients suggests a potential association, warranting further investigation to validate these findings.