Longitudinal evaluation of health-related quality of life after removal of high-risk melanoma in a setting where adjuvant therapy is not available.

To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with a high-risk skin melanoma after completion of the primary surgical treatment over time, as well as, to identify factors associated with better HRQoL at the beginning and at the end of follow-up. The study included subjects with histopathologically confirmed high-risk skin melanoma in clinical stages IIC, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC, in whom clinical and radiographic signs of the disease were not confirmed after primary surgical treatment. The HRQoL was evaluated using Short Form-36 (SF-36) after completion of primary surgical treatment (start of follow-up) and after 6 to 12 months (end of follow-up). A total of 71 people completed SF-36 at both points in time. There were no significant differences between the initial and the follow-up total HRQoL score (t = 1.118; p = 0.267). At the start of follow-up, having fewer depressive symptoms, better functional status and lower vitamin D serum levels were associated with a better total HRQoL score. At the end of follow-up, having lower Breslow depth and being employed at the start of follow-up, having fewer depressive symptoms and lower C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels at follow-up, and not developing metastases over follow-up were associated with a higher total HRQoL scores. The HRQoL of people with high-risk melanoma did not change in the year following the complete removal of the tumor. However, presence of depressive symptoms and metastases seem to have the strongest impact on poorer quality of life after surgery.