New clinic hits the spot for better melanoma treatment

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-02-19 00:01

New Zealand

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A multidisciplinary clinic established by the Auckland District Health Board in 2018 has reduced the number of unnecessary biopsies and improved treatment for patients with melanomas, according to a study in the New Zealand Medical Journal. The Pigmented Lesion Clinic, a collaboration between dermatology and general surgery, has a "see-and-treat" approach which has led to much shorter waiting times and better treatment outcomes. The number of biopsies needed dropped from 64 per cent to 35 per cent, and the wait until the first specialist assessment dropped from 35 to 23 days.