Long-term prognosis after a diagnosis of melanoma in situ

The incidence of melanoma in situ (MIS) is increasing. Although more than half of melanomas diagnosed are MIS, information about long-term prognosis following a diagnosis of MIS is lacking. A population-based cohort study using data in the SEER database (2000-2018) found that among 137,872 patients with MIS, the 15-year melanoma specific survival was 98.4%, while the 15-year relative survival was 112.4%.The authors conclude that patients with a MIS diagnosis have an increased but low risk of dying of melanoma, and live longer overall than people in the general population. This suggests significant detection of low-risk disease among health-seeking individuals.