Relapse After Stage I Melanoma Tied to Higher Tumor Burden, Poorer Survival

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with melanoma, systemic relapse after stage I disease is associated with higher tumor burden and shorter survival, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.Maria Gonzalez-Cao, M.D., from Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues analyzed overall survival in patients with advanced melanoma from the Spanish Melanoma Registry from 2018 to 2024, stratified by primary stage. A total of 365 patients with metastatic melanoma treated at first line were included; of these, 58, 32, 80, and 195 had prior stage I, IIA, IIB/C, and III, respectively.The researchers found that the median time to relapse was 52, 30, 27, and 25 months for stage I, IIA, IIB/C, and III, respectively. Patients with previous stage I more often had three or more metastatic sites, brain metastases, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase at systemic relapse (odds ratios, 1.89, 4.02, and 2.19, respectively). Patients with prior stage I had shorter median overall survival than those with stage IIA, IIB/C, and III (19.8 versus 60.1, 32.6, and 43.0 months, respectively)."These results underscore that early-stage melanoma cannot be universally considered low-risk and highlight the need for further research to optimize follow-up strategies in this population," the authors write.One author disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies; the study was supported through grants from Novartis Group, Pierre Fabre, Incyte, BMS, Roche, and Merck.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Relapse After Stage I Melanoma Tied to Higher Tumor Burden, Poorer Survival

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