Journal of

Background and aim: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers with high metastatic potential and considerable mortality. Prognostic factors such as tumor thickness, surgical margin status, and lymph node involvement play a decisive role in prognosis and treatment selection. Reports from Iran also indicate an increasing incidence of this disease, and providing epidemiological and clinical data at the regional level can help guide therapeutic policies.
 

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, all patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent surgery at Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. Demographic information, lesion site, tumor size and thickness, histopathological type, surgical method, margin status, and the need for reoperation were extracted from medical records and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests.
 

Results: A total of 84 patients were included (51.2% male and 48.8% female). The most common histopathological type was malignant melanoma (31%). Lesions were most frequently located on the hands (28.6%) and feet (21.4%). The majority of lesions measured between 2–5 cm (36.9%). Only 2.4% of patients had tumors thinner than 1 mm, while 11.9% had tumors thicker than 5 mm. Excision was the most common surgical method (54.8%). Surgical margins were free of tumor in 53.6% of cases, and 61.9% of patients required reoperation.
 

Conclusion: The findings indicate that cutaneous melanoma in southern Iran predominantly occurs in the extremities, and the high rate of reoperation underscores the need for more precise surgical planning and earlier diagnosis.