Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Dermatological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The dataset underlying this study is available on request to the corresponding author.

References

  1. Scotto J, Fraumeni JF, Lee JA (1976) Melanomas of the eye and other noncutaneous sites: epidemiologic aspects. J Natl Cancer Inst 56(3):489–491. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/56.3.489

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Swetter SM (2003) Dermatological perspectives of malignant melanoma. Surg Clin North Am 83(1):77–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0039-6109(02)00091-9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. GLOBOCAN (2020) Melanoma of skin [Online document]. Available via URL: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/16-Melanoma-of-skin-fact-sheet.pdf [Accessed on 4 Oct 2022].

  4. Barbaric J, Sekerija M, Agius D, Coza D, Dimitrova N et al (2016) Disparities in melanoma incidence and mortality in South-Eastern Europe: increasing incidence and divergent mortality patterns. Is progress around the corner? Eur J Cancer 55:47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2015.11.019

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. GLOBOCAN (2020) Serbia [Online document]. Available via URL: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/16-Melanoma-of-skin-fact-sheet.pdf [Accessed on 4 Oct 2022].

  6. Ribero S, Stucci LS, Marra E, Marconcini R, Spagnolo F, Orgiano L et al (2018) Effect of age on melanoma risk, prognosis and treatment response. Acta Derm Venereol 98(7):624–629. https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-2944

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Green A, Baade P, Coory M, Aitken J, Smithers M (2012) Population-based 20-year survival among people diagnosed with thin melanomas in Queensland, Australia. J Clin Oncol 30(13):1462–1467. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2011.38.8561

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Breslow A (1970) Thickness, cross-sectional areas and depth of invasion in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma. Ann Surg 172(5):902–908. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-197011000-00017

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. von Schuckmann LA, Hughes MCB, Ghiasvand R, Malt M, van der Pols JC, Beesley VL et al (2019) Risk of Melanoma recurrence after diagnosis of a high-risk primary tumor. JAMA Dermatol 155(6):688–693. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.0440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Balch CM, Gershenwald JE, Soong S, Thompson JF, Atkins MB, Byrd DR et al (2009) Final version of 2009 AJCC melanoma staging and classification. J Clin Oncol 27(36):6199–6206. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2009.23.4799

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Lisy K, Lai-Kwon J, Ward A, Sandhu S, Kasparian NA, Winstanley J et al (2020) Patient-reported outcomes in melanoma survivors at 1, 3 and 5 years post-diagnosis: a population-based cross-sectional study. Qual Life Res 29(8):2021–2027. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02464-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bell KJL, Mehta Y, Turner RM, Morton RL, Dieng M, Saw R et al (2017) Fear of new or recurrent melanoma after treatment for localised melanoma. Psychooncology 26(11):1784–1791. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4366

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Westby R, Berg C, Leach C (2015) Gender, race, BMI, and social support in relation to the health-related quality of life of cancer survivors: a report from the American cancer society’s study of cancer survivors II (SCS-II). Qual Life Res 25(2):409–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-015-1084-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sampogna F, Paradisi A, Iemboli ML, Ricci F, Sonego G, Abeni D (2019) Comparison of quality of life between melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer patients. Eur J Dermatol 29(2):185–191. https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2019.3523

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Looman EL, Cheng PF, Lai-Kwon J, Morgan L, Wakkee M, Dummer R et al (2023) Health-related quality of life in survivors of advanced melanoma treated with anti-PD1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer Med 12(11):12861–12873. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.5967

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Pedersen S, Holmstroem RB, von Heymann A, Tolstrup LK, Madsen K, Petersen MA et al (2023) Quality of life and mental health in real-world patients with resected stage III/IV melanoma receiving adjuvant immunotherapy. Acta Oncol 62(1):62–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2023.2165449

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Bloemendal M, Rietveld MJA, van Willigen WW, Gerritsen WR, Figdor CG, Bonenkamp JJ et al (2019) Health-related quality of life analysis in stage III melanoma patients treated with adjuvant dendritic cell therapy. Clin Transl Oncol 21(6):774–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-018-1987-0

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Institut za javno zdravlje Srbije “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut” Odeljenje za prevenciju i kontrolu nezaraznih bolesti. (2017) REGISTAR ZA RAK U CENTRALNOJ SRBIJI INCIDENCIJA I MORTALITET OD RAKA U CENTRALNOJ SRBIJI [Online document]. Available via URL: http://www.batut.org.rs/download/publikacije/Incidencija%20i%20mortalitet%20od%20raka%202015.pdf. [Accessed on 3 July 2021].

  19. Ware JE, Kosinski M, Keller SD (1994) SF-36 physical and mental health summary scales: a user’s manual Boston. The Health Institute, Boston, MA

    Google Scholar 

  20. Nikolic A, Biocanin V, Rancic N, Duspara M, Djuric D (2021) Serbian translation and validation of SF-36 for assessment of quality of life in patients with diagnosed arterial hypertension. Ser J Exp Clin Res. https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2020-0023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Timotijević I, Paunović V (2010). Instrumenti kliničke procene u psihijatriji. 3rd ed. Naša knjiga, Belgrade, Serbia.

  22. Beck A, Steer R, Brown G (1996) Manual for the beck depression inventory-II. Psychological Corporation, San Antonio TX

    Google Scholar 

  23. ECOG performance status. ECOG-ACRIN [Internet]. Available via URL: https://ecog-acrin.org/resources/ecog-performance-status [Accessed on 3 July 2022].

  24. Definition of prognostic factor - NCI dictionary of cancer terms - national cancer institute [Internet]. Available via URL: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/prognostic-factor [Accessed on 27 Aug 2021].

  25. Fang S, Wang Y, Sui D, Liu H, Ross MI, Gershenwald JE et al (2015) C-reactive protein as a marker of melanoma progression. J Clin Oncol 33(12):1389–1396. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2014.58.0209

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Mahamat-Saleh Y, Aune D, Schlesinger S (2020) 25-Hydroxyvitamin D status, vitamin D intake, and skin cancer risk: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sci Rep 10(1):13151. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70078-y

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Boekhout AH, Rogiers A, Jozwiak K, Boers-Sonderen MJ, van den Eertwegh AJ, Hospers GA et al (2021) Health-related quality of life of long-term advanced melanoma survivors treated with anti-CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibition compared to matched controls. Acta Oncol Stockh Swed 60(1):69–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2020.1818823

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Schadendorf D, Hauschild A, Santinami M, Atkinson V, Mandalà M, Chiarion-Sileni V et al (2018) Effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adjuvant treatment (tx) with dabrafenib plus trametinib (D + T) in patients (pts) with resected stage III BRAF-mutant melanoma. J Clin Oncol 36(15_suppl):9590. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2018.36.15_suppl.9590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Tas F, Karabulut S, Guveli H, Kurul S, Erturk K, Guveli M et al (2017) Assessment of anxiety and depression status in Turkish cutaneous melanoma Patients. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 18(2):369–373. https://doi.org/10.22034/APJCP.2017.18.2.369

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Beesley VL, Hughes MCB, Smithers BM, Khosrotehrani K, Malt MK, von Schuckmann LA et al (2020) Anxiety and depression after diagnosis of high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma: a 4-year longitudinal study. J Cancer Surviv Res Pract 14(5):712–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-020-00885-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Holterhues C, Cornish D, van de Poll-Franse LV, Krekels G, Koedijk F, Kuijpers D et al (2011) Impact of melanoma on patients’ lives among 562 survivors: a Dutch population-based study. Arch Dermatol 147(2):177–185. https://doi.org/10.1001/archdermatol.2010.433

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Barbato MT, Bakos L, Bakos RM, Prieb R, de Andrade CD (2011) Predictors of quality of life in patients with skin melanoma at the dermatology department of the Porto Alegre teaching hospital. An Bras Dermatol 86(2):249–256. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0365-05962011000200007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Vereecken P, Cornelis F, Van Baren N, Vandersleyen V, Baurain JF (2012) A synopsis of serum biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma patients. Dermatol Res Pract 2012:e260643. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/260643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Frauchiger AL, Mangana J, Rechsteiner M, Moch H, Seifert B, Braun RP et al (2016) Prognostic relevance of lactate dehydrogenase and serum S100 levels in stage IV melanoma with known BRAF mutation status. Br J Dermatol 174(4):823–830. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Song Y, Lu H, Cheng Y (2022) To identify the association between dietary vitamin D intake and serum levels and risk or prognostic factors for melanoma-systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 12(8):e052442. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052442

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Gracia-Darder I, Carrera C, Alamon-Reig F, Puig S, Malvehy J, Podlipnik S (2022) Vitamin D deficiency in melanoma patients is associated with worse overall survival: a retrospective cohort study. Melanoma Res 32(5):384–387. https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000000842

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Jovana Sladojevic & Jelena Dotlic

  2. Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

    Jelena Dotlic

  3. Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26A, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Tatjana Gazibara & Natasa Maksimovic

  4. Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

    Suzana Matkovic

Authors
  1. Jovana Sladojevic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jelena Dotlic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tatjana Gazibara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Suzana Matkovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Natasa Maksimovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. JS contributed to the interpretation of results and drafted the manuscript; JD and TG contributed to data analysis and interpretation of results and drafted the manuscript; SM contributed to collecting the data, interpreted results, and drafted the manuscript; NM contributed to the interpretation of results and gave a critical review of the intellectual content of the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript for submission and agreed to be held accountable for all aspects of this manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Natasa Maksimovic.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 53 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sladojevic, J., Dotlic, J., Gazibara, T. et al. Longitudinal evaluation of health-related quality of life after removal of high-risk melanoma in a setting where adjuvant therapy is not available. Arch Dermatol Res 316, 27 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-023-02766-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-023-02766-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation