Objective:

To assess whether anatomical site and histological subtype predict Breslow thickness and selected high-risk pathological features in surgically treated cutaneous melanoma.

Approach:

• Study Design: A retrospective observational study of surgically managed primary cutaneous melanoma at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital from January 2016 to December 2023.
• Data Analysis: Breslow thickness was reported as medians and interquartile ranges; categorical variables as counts and percentages. Multivariable linear regression assessed associations with thickness, while logistic regression evaluated associations with ulceration and noda…

Key Findings:

• Breslow thickness was documented for 88 melanomas, with 86 records containing positive values.
• Acral and lower-limb melanomas showed greater thickness compared to trunk lesions, with ratios of 2.32 and 1.83 respectively (n = 85).
• Acral lentiginous melanoma, nodular melanoma, and lentigo maligna melanoma exhibited greater thickness than superficial spreading melanoma (n = 72).
• Ulceration was associated with increasing Breslow thickness (odds ratio 2.90).
• No independent associations with nodal positivity were observed for Breslow thickness or ulceration.

Limitations:

• The study is retrospective and conducted at a single institution.
• The sample size was limited, particularly for certain histological subtypes.