Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
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J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. · Mar 2003
Comparative StudyEvaluating invasive cutaneous melanoma: is the initial biopsy representative of the final depth?
An accurate initial biopsy of the deepest portion of the melanoma is vital to the management of patients with melanomas. ⋯ Deep shave biopsy is preferable to superficial shave or punch biopsy for thin and intermediate depth (<2 mm) melanomas when an initial sample is taken for diagnosis instead of complete excision. We found that a group of predominantly experienced dermatologists accurately assessed the depth of invasive melanoma by use of a variety of initial biopsy types.
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J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. · Mar 2003
Comparative StudySkin cancer is among the most costly of all cancers to treat for the Medicare population.
Compared with other malignancies, nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is associated with much less morbidity and mortality. NMSC is, however, far more common than other malignancies. The cost of managing NMSC has not been assessed. ⋯ In addition to classifying cancers by number of cases and number of deaths, the financial impact of treatment can also be used to prioritize different malignancies. Such a scheme ranks NMSC far higher than would death statistics. In light of its already high and rising incidence, the cost of NMSC care to Medicare is likely to increase. However, to maintain the cost-effective management of NMSC, it is essential to preserve the current low per-patient cost of its management.