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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Surg Oncol. 2022 Jan;125(1):28–33. doi: 10.1002/jso.26717

Table 1:

Summary of Margin Trials in Melanoma

Study Cooperative Group Country of origin First Author Dates of Enrollment Trial Description Patients Primary Outcome Date Published
WHO World Health Organization EU
USA
Veronesi U July 1980 – April 1985 1cm vs 3cm margins
Melanoma <2mm thick
Trunk or limbs
1cm margin: 305 pts
3cm margin: 307 pts
No difference in OS, DFS
All 3 local recurrence in 1cm group in patients with >1mm tumors
May 5, 1988
Swedish 1 Swedish Melanoma Study Group Sweden Rinborg U February 1982 – December 1990 2cm vs 5cm margins
Melanoma 0.8–2mm thick
Trunk or limbs
2cm margin: 373 pts
5cm margin: 396 pts
No difference in OS, DFS
Local recurrences rare (<1%)
January 5, 1996
Intergroup Melanoma Surgical Trial* ECOG, SWOG, NSABP, NCI Canada, CALGB USA
Canada
Balch C January 1983 – October 1989 2cm vs 4cm margin + SLNBx
Melanoma 1–4mm thick
Group A)
2cm margin: 238 pt
4cm margin: 230 pt
Group B)
2cm margin head/neck
No difference in OS, DFS
Local recurrence associated with 5% 10-yr survival
Head/Neck lesions associated with local recurrence
April 8, 1993
Swedish 2 Swedish Melanoma Study Group Sweden Gillgren P January 1992 – May 2004 2cm vs 4cm margin + SLNBx
Melanoma >2mm thick
Trunk or limbs
2cm margin: 465 pts
4cm margin: 471 pts
No difference in OS, DFS October 24, 2011
UK Trial United Kingdom Melanoma Study Group United Kingdom Thomas JM January 1993 – July 2001 1cm vs 3cm margin + SLNBx
Melanoma >2mm thick
Trunk or limbs
1cm margin: 453 pts
3cm margin: 447 pts
Increased local recurrence in 1cm group (HR 1.26 95% CI 1.00–1.59, p=0.05)
No difference in OS, DFS
February 19, 2004
MelMarT1 Australia & New Zealand Medical Trials Group Australia
New Zealand
Moncrieff M, Gyorki D January 2015 – June 2016 1cm vs 3cm margin + SLNBx
Melanoma >2mm thick
Trunk or limbs
1cm margin: 198 pts
2cm margin: 202 pts
LR and DSS were not assessed
2cm margin associated with high wound necrosis and reconstruction
QoL similar between groups
May 30, 2018
MelMartTII Melanoma and Skin Trials Limited Australia New Zealand December 2019 – 1cm vs 2cm margin
>2mm or 1–2mm with ulceration
1cm margin: 1499 (target)
2cm margin: 1499 (target)
Primary Outcome: DFS
Secondary Outcomes: LR, Distant DFS, DSS, OS, QoL, Safety
ongoing

Abbreviations: ECOG-Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, SWOG-Southwestern Oncologu Group, NSABP-National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, NCI-National Cancer Institute, CALBG-Cancer and Leukemia Group N, USA-United States of America, EU-European Union