. 2018 Apr 18;154(5):544–553. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.0288

Table 2. Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis of Patient Skin Self-Examination Practices Associated With Melanoma Thickness in Patients With NM or SSM .

Variable	Patients With NM (n = 147)			Patients With SSM (n = 538)
Variable	Patients, No.	Tumor ≤2 mm, OR (95% CI)^a	P Value	Patients, No.	Tumor ≤2 mm, OR (95% CI)^b	P Value
Who first noticed the lesion that turned out to be melanoma?^c
Patient	92	1.19 (0.47-3.02)	.71	265	0.66 (0.39-1.13)	.13
Medical provider	20	1.77 (0.52-6.01)	.36	111	2.48 (1.14-5.40)	.02^d
Spouse/family/friend/other	35	1 [Reference]		157	1 [Reference]
Routine self-examination^e
Examination of some/all skin	107	2.39 (0.84-6.80)	.10	400	2.61 (1.60-4.25)	<.001^d
No examination	34	1 [Reference]		125	1 [Reference]
Body areas routinely examined
Areas that are easy to self-examine^f
Yes	106	2.42 (0.85-6.90)	.10	391	2.59 (1.58-4.23)	<.001^d
No	34	1 [Reference]		125	1 [Reference]
Areas that are difficult to self-examine^g
Yes	79	2.61 (0.88-7.72)	.08	326	2.82 (1.69-4.71)	<.001^d
No	34	1 [Reference]		125	1 [Reference]
Areas that are very difficult to self-examine^h
Yes	32	1.59 (0.44-5.73)	.48	157	3.28 (1.73-6.21)	<.001^d
No	34	1 [Reference]		125	1 [Reference]
If patient noticed changes that turned out to be melanoma, what were those changes?
Change in border
Yes	26	0.28 (0.08-1.01)	.05	98	1.85 (0.92-3.70)	.08
No	119	1 [Reference]		402	1 [Reference]
Different than it used to be
Yes	65	0.78 (0.37-1.66)	.52	186	0.77 (0.48-1.25)	.30
No	80	1 [Reference]		314	1 [Reference]
Change in thickness/elevation
Yes	83	0.45 (0.21-0.96)	.04^d	148	0.20 (0.12-0.34)	<.001^d
No	62	1 [Reference]		352	1 [Reference]
Onset of pain
Yes	22	0.21 (0.05-0.96)	.04^d	35	0.28 (0.13-0.61)	.001^d
No	123	1 [Reference]		465	1 [Reference]
Onset of itching
Yes	43	0.56 (0.23-1.40)	.22	103	0.50 (0.27-0.82)	.008^d
No	102	1 [Reference]		397	1 [Reference]
Onset of bleeding
Yes	43	0.42 (0.17-1.06)	.07	51	0.19 (0.10-0.36)	<.001^d
No	102	1 [Reference]		449	1 [Reference]
Not applicable or never noticed
Yes	12	0.53 (0.11-2.52)	.42	80	3.51 (1.45-8.46)	.005^d
No	199	1 [Reference]		422	1 [Reference]
Lesion colorⁱ
Pigmented	97	1.16 (0.48-2.85)	.74	44	1.53 (0.73-3.23)	.26
Don’t know	13	0.23 (0.03-2.12)	.20	42	4.36 (1.23-15.45)	.02^d
Pink/skin colored	33	1 [Reference]		436	1 [Reference]
Could patient easily see the lesion?^j
Yes	108	2.32 (0.86-6.21)	.10	325	0.66 (0.40-1.08)	.10
No/don’t know	37	1 [Reference]		197	1 [Reference]
How often patient carefully examined their molesⁱ
Every 1-2 mo/every 6 mo	40	1.36 (0.60-3.08)	.46	153	1.49 (0.84-2.62)	.17
Every year	16	0.61 (0.16-2.38)	.48	81	0.82 (0.43-1.55)	.54
Never	88	1 [Reference]		295	1 [Reference]
Had patient ever noticed a change in any moles?^k
Yes	72	2.62 (1.21-5.67)	.02^d	295	0.79 (0.50-1.26)	.33
No	74	1 [Reference]		237	1 [Reference]
When patient first became concerned about the lesion^k
Only at time of diagnosis	37	2.07 (0.52-8.31)	.30	180	1.07 (0.45-2.52)	.89
<4 mo before diagnosis	62	0.77 (0.16-3.71)	.74	191	0.47 (0.19-1.15)	.10
4-12 mo before diagnosis	34	1.30 (0.28-5.97)	.73	109	2.00 (0.81-4.91)	.13
1+ years before diagnosis	14	1 [Reference]		51	1 [Reference]
Ever used a melanoma pictureⁱ
Yes	23	2.48 (0.98-6.30)	.06	112	1.62 (0.83-3.15)	.16
No	121	1 [Reference]		417	1 [Reference]

Abbreviations: NM, nodular melanoma; OR, odds ratio; SSM, superficial spreading melanoma.

^{^a}

Adjusted for age (continuous), sex.

^{^b}

Adjusted for age (continuous), sex, education.

^{^c}

Twelve missing values.

^{^d}

Statistically significant.

^{^e}

Nineteen missing values.

^{^f}

Included face, front of legs, chest, stomach, and front of arms.

^{^g}

Included neck, upper shoulders, upper back, lower back, back of legs, and back of arms.

^{^h}

Included scalp and bottom of feet.

^ⁱ

Seven missing values.

^{^j}

Eighteen missing values.

^{^k}

Twenty missing values.