The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the characteristics of melanoma: a single-centre cohort study

Introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic had, in a broad sense, a negative impact on populational health and well-being. Countries around the world struggled to address a spike in demand for the management of viral pneumonia and, at the same time, to efficiently treat the conditions which deteriorate severely when the treatment is delayed. Several studies published so far have analysed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on skin cancer epidemiology and management, however the results have been inconsistent.

Aim:
To examine the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cutaneous melanoma epidemiology diagnosed in a tertiary referral centre in Northern Poland.

Material and methods:
This was a retrospective study that gathered the data on all the cutaneous melanoma cases treated in our facility during the official lockdown period in Poland and compared them to those diagnosed during the corresponding period from before the pandemic.

Results:
The number of cutaneous melanoma cases diagnosed during the pandemic decreased substantially. Interestingly, it was mostly due to a decrease in the number of patients with cutaneous melanoma localised on the trunk and early melanoma cases (melanoma in situ and pT1a stage).

Conclusions:
Our data suggest that, similarly to the reports emerging worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic impaired the capability of our healthcare system to diagnose and treat cutaneous melanoma in our region. The data are limited, and further research will be necessary to determine the whole extent of those changes, especially the long-term effects.