ArticleThe British journal of dermatology2022
Limited impact of COVID-19-related diagnostic delay on cutaneous melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma tumour characteristics: a nationwide pathology registry analysis.
Article in The British journal of dermatology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on melanoma diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Diagnosis of Melanoma and Keratinocyte Carcinomas: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2024Pooled it
- The Epidemiology of Malignant Melanoma during the First Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Across the Pre-COVID-19, COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Eras: Epidemiology, Risk Stratification, Tumour Aggressiveness, and Clinical Outcomes.Dermatopathology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Oncological Care During a Crisis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer of the Head and Neck Region in the COVID-19 Pandemic.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Cancer care under systemic shock: utilization declines and cost increases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, evidence from matched administrative cohorts.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- Incidence of Tattoo-Associated Melanoma in the Netherlands (1991-2023): A Nationwide Registry Study.Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Epithelial skin cancer before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Dramatic Increase of New Cases in 2023 in Two German Skin Tumour Centers.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Skin health and disease · 2024Article
- Health Economic Consequences Associated With COVID-19-Related Delay in Melanoma Diagnosis in Europe.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and prognosis of melanoma 2 years after the pandemic in two Romanian counties.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- COVID-19 and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Impact of the Pandemic on Unequal Access to Healthcare.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Incidence and Thickness of Cutaneous Melanoma in Belgium.Biomedicines · 2023Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Melanoma Diagnosis: Increased Breslow Thickness in Primary Melanomas-A Single Center Experience.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- A Meta-Analysis on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cutaneous Melanoma Diagnosis in Europe.Cancers · 2022Review
- Melanoma overdiagnosis: why it matters and what can be done about it.The British journal of dermatology · 2022Article
- Heterogeneity of reports about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on melanoma diagnosis.The British journal of dermatology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of skin cancer diagnoses, potentially causing a progression to unfavourable tumour stages.
objectivesTo identify the impact of delayed diagnostics on primary invasive melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) by comparing tumour (pT) stage, Breslow thickness and invasion depth from before to after the first and second lockdown periods.
methodsIn this population-based cohort study, histopathology reports registered between 1 January 2018 and 22 July 2021 were obtained from the nationwide histopathology registry in the Netherlands. The Breslow thickness of melanomas, invasion depth of cSCCs, and pT stage for both tumour types were compared across five time periods: (i) pre-COVID, (ii) first lockdown, (iii) between first and second lockdowns, (iv) second lockdown and (v) after second lockdown. Breslow thickness was compared using an independent t-test. pT-stage groups were compared using a χ
resultsIn total, 20 434 primary invasive melanomas and 68 832 cSCCs were included in this study. The mean primary melanoma Breslow thickness of the prepandemic era (period i) and the following time periods (ii-v) showed no significant difference. A small shift was found towards unfavourable pT stages during the first lockdown compared with the pre-COVID period: pT1 52·3% vs. 58·6%, pT2 18·9% vs. 17·8%, pT3 13·2% vs. 11·0%, pT4 9·1% vs. 7·3% (P = 0·001). No relevant changes were seen in subsequent periods. No significant change in pT stage distribution was observed between the pre-COVID (i) and COVID-affected periods (ii-v) for cSCCs.
conclusionsTo date, the diagnostic delay caused by COVID-19 has not resulted in relatively more unfavourable primary tumour characteristics of melanoma or cSCC. Follow-up studies in the coming years are needed to identify a potential impact on staging distribution and survival in the long term.
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