Background: Lentigo maligna (LM), a type of melanoma in situ (MIS), usually develops on sun-damaged skin in the elderly. If left untreated, it may advance to the point of dermal invasion, developing into lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). While surgeons have achieved robust clinical outcomes for LM treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), performing this treatment for LMM remains controversial and is not standard amongst all Mohs surgeons.
Objective: We examined survival outcomes in LM/LMM cases treated with MMS and wide local excision (WLE).
Methods: Data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (NCI SEER) program, collected from 2000-2019, was retrospectively analyzed. Patients with microscopically confirmed diagnosis of LM/LMM who received surgical treatment with MMS or WLE were included. The effect of different surgery types on melanoma survival was evaluated.
Results: A total of 22,852 LM/LMM cases performed during the years 2000-2019 were considered for analysis. There were no significant differences in disease-specific survival comparing WLE to MMS.
Conclusion: Our research hints at the utility of MMS for LM/LMM. We encourage practitioners to consider MMS for the management LM/LMM when appropriate. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(12):1094-1099. doi:10.36849/JDD.7898.