MATERIALS AND METHODS

The histological preparations from 165 patients with extra-ocular malignant melanoma seen in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, between 1 Jan. 1952 and 31 Dec. 1961 were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained to early 1967 for all but four. The 5-yr survival rates were calculated for numerous histological variants. These were obtained by expressing the number of patients alive at the fifth anniversary of initial treatment as a percentage of the total number of patients with the histological feature under consideration, less those lost to follow-up and those dying of other causes within the 5-yr period. Though I believe that this figure has little relevance, since 19 per cent. of the melanoma deaths in this series occurred after the fifth anniversary and 8 per cent. after the tenth, it is recorded in line with previous reports to allow comparison.

The other major parameter recorded is the incidence of death from melanoma in the study population at this time, This has well-known fallacies, but at an interim follow-up stage it has real value if the contrasted populations are reasonably homogeneous and have been followed for a comparable period. The incidence and nature of metastases were assessed and compared.