Annual dermatological follow-up in primary cutaneous melanoma

After primary cutaneous melanoma, annual dermatological follow-up is recommended. But what happens in practice? In this retrospective cohort study conducted in Canada between 2010 and 2013, compliance with annual dermatological follow-up was variable. Only 28% of patients consulted the dermatologist at least once a year during the median follow-up of 5 years. Factors predictive of compliance were age, gender, socioeconomic level, access to dermatological care, stage of melanoma, nature of tumor, existence of comorbidities. Adherence to annual follow-up was associated with a reduction in melanoma-specific mortality, demonstrating the importance of such follow-up.