Search

Objectives Melanoma treatment in the elderly can entail complex decision making. This study characterizes the presentation, management, and outcome of melanoma in the very elderly. Method Retrospective review of all patients in their 85th year or older presenting to a tertiary referral cancer centre between 2000 and 2012 with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages 0–II cutaneous melanoma. Results 127 patients, 26 with in-situ disease and 101 with stages I–II disease, were included. For invasive primary disease, the median age was 87 years (IRQ = 86–89). Most patients had melanomas with poor prognoses at diagnosis: 49.5% were ulcerated, 68.3% mitotically active (mitotic rate ≥ 1), and the median tumor thickness was 3.7 mm (IQR = 1.7–5.8). Nodular melanomas were the most frequent subtype (31.7%, 32/101). Only 66.3% received an excision margin ≥ 10 mm. Suboptimal excision margins were associated with increased risk of local recurrence (HR = 6.87, 95% CI = 5.53–8.20, p = 0.0045) but not poorer disease specific survival (DSS, p = 0.37) or overall survival (OS, p = 0.19). Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) did not influence survival (DSS, p = 0.39, OS, p = 0.78). Median OS was 33 months. Overall, one-third (34.7%) of patients died from causes other than melanoma during the follow up period. In patients aged ≥ 90 only 1 patient (4.3%) died from melanoma, while 10 patients (43.5%) died of other causes. Conclusions Older patients have thick, mitotically active and frequently ulcerated melanomas. An excision margin ≥ 10 mm should be considered to reduce risk of local recurrence. SNB did not impact on survival. With increasing age, patients will more commonly die of causes other than melanoma regardless of the extent of surgical care.