A randomized controlled trial compared surgical excision margins of 2 cm versus 4 cm for patients with cutaneous melanomas thicker than 2 mm. The trial involved 936 patients across multiple centers who were allocated to the 2 cm or 4 cm margin groups. After 6-7 years of follow up, there were no differences in overall survival or recurrence free survival between the groups. The results suggest clinicians can safely use a 2 cm excision margin for thick melanomas (>2mm).

1. Editoriale http://www.senology.org/Edit_GillgrenP.htm
Resection margin for patients with cutaneous melanoma
Clinicians today can be safer when they decide to treat patients with thick melanomas
(>2mm) with a 2-cm excisional margin. In a randomised controlled multicentre trial from
Karolinska Institute, 936 patients were allocated to either a 2-cm (465) or a 4-cm
(471) margin. There were no differences in overall survival nor in recurrence free survival.
Patients were followed 6,7 years.
Bibliographic Reference:
Gillgren P et al.: "2-cm versus 4-cm surgical excision margins for primary cutaneous
melanoma thicker than 2 mm: a randomised, multicentre trial", Lancet. 2011 Nov
5;378(9803):1635-42
Peter Gillgren
Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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