Table I.
Comparison between the patient characteristics of BRAF-mutant and -wild-type clinical stage III melanoma.
| Patient characteristics | n (%)(n=250) | BRAF-mutant, n (%) (n=154) | BRAF wild-type, n (%) (n=96) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age, years | 54 | 52 | 60 | P<0.005 |
| Age, years | ||||
| 0–40 | 44 (17.6) | 26 (16.9) | 18 (18.8) | P=0.008 |
| >40–60 | 118 (47.2) | 84 (54.5) | 34 (35.4) | |
| >60 | 88 (35.2) | 44 (28.6) | 44 (45.8) | |
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 128 (51.2) | 76 (49.4) | 52 (54.2) | N.S. |
| Male | 122 (48.8) | 78 (50.6) | 44 (45.8) | |
| Primary tumor site | ||||
| Upper extremity | 26 (10.4) | 14 (9.1) | 12 (12.5) | N.S. |
| Lower extremity | 97 (38.8) | 57 (37.0) | 40 (41.7) | |
| Trunk | 92 (36.8) | 58 (37.7) | 34 (35.4) | |
| Unknown primary | 35 (14.0) | 25 (16.2) | 10 (10.4) | |
| Lymph nodal basin | ||||
| Axillary | 122 (48.8) | 78 (50.6) | 44 (45.8) | N.S. |
| Inguinal | 128 (51.2) | 76 (49.4) | 52 (55.2) | |
| Primary melanoma Breslow thickness, mm | ||||
| ≤1.00 | 8 (4.2) | 6 (5.3) | 2 (2.6) | N.S. |
| 1.01–2.00 | 34 (17.8) | 24 (21.2) | 10 (12.8) | |
| 2.01–4.00 | 60 (31.4) | 37 (32.7) | 23 (29.5) | |
| >4.00 | 89 (17.8) | 46 (40.8) | 43 (55.1) | |
| Data not availablea | 59 | 41 | 18 | |
| Median primary melanoma Breslow thickness, mm | 3.9 | 3.75 | 4.9 | N.S. |
| Ulceration of primary melanoma | ||||
| No | 69 (36.3) | 38 (33.9) | 31 (39.7) | N.S. |
| Yes | 121 (63.7) | 74 (66.1) | 47 (60.3) | |
| Data not availablea | 60 | 42 | 18 | |
| Metastatic nodes, n | ||||
| 1 | 64 (25.6) | 40 (25.9) | 24 (25.0) | N.S. |
| 2–3 | 72 (28.8) | 46 (29.9) | 26 (27.1) | |
| ≥4 | 114 (45.6) | 68 (44.2) | 46 (47.9) | |
| Median | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Extracapsular extension of nodal metastases | ||||
| No | 114 (45.6) | 74 (48.1) | 40 (41.7) | N.S. |
| Yes | 136 (54.4) | 80 (51.9) | 56 (58.3) | |
a
35 cases of unknown primary melanoma with nodal metastases.
BRAF, v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1; N.S., not significant.