Dermatopathology specialists may render higher-grade diagnoses for low risk melanomas
Source: Healio, November 2023
Key takeaways:
- Pathologists specializing in dermatopathology tended to give higher-grade diagnoses vs. those without training (OR = 2.63).
- They were also more likely to give invasive melanoma diagnoses (OR = 1.95).
Specialty training in dermatopathology correlated with a greater tendency to diagnose low risk melanomas as more severe, according to a study.
“Melanocytic lesions are challenging for pathologists to interpret, with extensive levels of interobserver and intraobserver variability,” Kathleen F. Kerr, PhD, of the department of biostatistics at University of Washington, and colleagues wrote. “In addition, epidemiologic data show steady increases in melanoma diagnoses over recent decades, without significant change in melanoma mortality.”