Multidisciplinary Pigmented Lesion Clinic at Auckland District Health Board: impacts on melanoma diagnosis and treatment outcomes

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the outcomes and effect of a multidisciplinary 'see and treat' pigmented lesion clinic, run jointly by dermatology and general surgery, on the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma at Auckland District Health Board (DHB).

Method: All patients attending the newly established Pigmented Lesion Clinic (PLC) between 1 March 2019 and 31 August 2019 were included in the study. They were compared against a retrospective cohort of patients seen for suspected or biopsy-proven melanomas during the same corresponding period in 2016.

Results: 251 new patients attended the PLC, compared to 148 new patients seen at Auckland DHB in 2016. There was a significant reduction in proportion of pigmented lesions requiring biopsy (35.2% vs 64.3%, p<0.001), with a benign-to-malignant ratio of 2.4:1. Fifty-three melanomas were treated through the PLC, with a significant reduction in mean waiting time from referral to first specialist assessment (22.6 vs 35.1 days, p=0.038), and from referral to wide local excision (50.6 vs 99.1 days, p<0.001). 86.5% of patients received full skin check, from which additional skin malignancies were detected in 1-per-5.3 patients.

Conclusion: The novel PLC model has led to reduction in unnecessary excisional biopsies of benign pigmented lesions, while streamlining and improving timely access to specialist review and surgical treatment for patients with melanomas.