2.1 Study Design
This was a retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the prognostic value of biopsy findings for progression free survival in early stage cutaneous melanoma. Patients with an initial stage I and II melanoma diagnosis between 2010-2022, defined using the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s clinical prognostic grouping criteria, with available biopsy and surgical pathology reports were included in the study. Patients before 2010 were excluded because our institution implemented the electronic health record in 2010, so records prior to 2010 were either not available or were formatted significantly differently. Exclusion criteria included melanoma in situ, stage III or IV melanoma, and non-cutaneous melanoma.