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.