Journal Article

DKFZ-2026-01656

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Years of life lost in patients with a false-negative diagnosis of primary melanoma. A prospective study of the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry involving 9063 patients over 28 years.

Garbe, C. ; Keim, U. ; Amaral, T. ; Ascierto, P. A. ; Bauer, J. ; Dummer, R. ; Eggermont, A. M. M. ; Eigentler, T. K. ; Flatz, L. ; Forchhammer, S. ; Forschner, A. ; Gandini, S. ; Gershenwald, J. E. ; Hauschild, A. ; Hoeller, C. ; Kirkwood, J. M. ; Lebbe, C. ; Long, G. V. ; Lorigan, P. ; Luke, J. J. ; Meier, F.DKFZ* ; Metzler, G. ; Nathan, P. ; Postow, M. A. ; Robert, C. ; Röcken, M. ; Schadendorf, D.DKFZ* ; Weide, B. ; Whiteman, D. ; Leiter, U. ; Martus, P.

2026
Springer Nature [London]

Abstract: A false-negative diagnosis of cancer can lead to a delay in effective treatment and a poorer prognosis. Here, we use the example of cutaneous melanoma to examine how many years of life are lost after a false-negative diagnosis compared to a primarily correct diagnosis. From 1996 to 2015, 9,063 patients are prospectively registered in the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry and followed up until December 2023. A false-negative diagnosis is found in 206 (2.3%) patients. The median time to correct diagnosis is 24.0 months. The 10-year recurrence-free survival probabilities are 32.9% for false-negative diagnoses and 76.2% for correct diagnoses (p < 0.001). The 10-year melanoma-specific survival probabilities are 62.1% versus 85.0% (p < 0.001). On average, each person with an initial false-negative diagnosis loses 8.2 years of life compared to people with a correct diagnosis. This high number of years of life lost raises the question of whether similar results also apply to other types of cancer.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Melanoma: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Melanoma: mortality (MeSH) ; Germany: epidemiology (MeSH) ; Registries (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Prospective Studies (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; False Negative Reactions (MeSH) ; Skin Neoplasms: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Skin Neoplasms: mortality (MeSH) ; Aged (MeSH) ; Middle Aged (MeSH) ; Aged, 80 and over (MeSH) ; Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma (MeSH) ; Adult (MeSH) ; Prognosis (MeSH) ; Life Expectancy (MeSH)

Note: #NCTZFB9# / #DKTKZFB9#

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Koordinierungsstelle NCT Dresden (DD04)
2. DKTK Koordinierungsstelle Essen/Düsseldorf (ED01)

Research Program(s):

1. 899 - ohne Topic (POF4-899) (POF4-899)

Appears in the scientific report 2026

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; ; Article Processing Charges ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DOAJ Seal ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF >= 15 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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