Observational studyAnais brasileiros de dermatologia
Did COVID-19 lockdown delay actually worsen melanoma prognosis?
Observational study in Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 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
- Skin cancer prevention in the Polish population during the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Delay of Melanoma Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Cancers · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 lockdown possibly meant a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and therefore, worsening its prognosis. This unique situation of diagnosis deferral is an exceptional opportunity to investigate melanoma biology.
objectivesTo evaluate the immediate and mid-term impact of diagnosis delay on melanoma.
methodsA retrospective observational study of melanoma diagnosed between March 14
resultsA total of 119 melanomas were diagnosed. There were no differences in age, sex, incidence, location, presence of ulceration or mitoses, and in situ/invasive melanoma rate (p>0.05). After the recovery of the normal activity, Breslow thickness increased in comparison with the previous year (2.4 vs 1.9mm, p<0.05) resulting in a significant upstaging according to the AJCC 8 STUDY LIMITATIONS: The main limitation is that this is a single-center study.
conclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown implied a diagnosis delay leading to a mid-term increase in Breslow thickness and an upstaging of invasive melanomas. However, the detection deferral did not result in a higher progression of in situ to invasive melanoma, in our sample.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.