OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to describe survival prediction outcomes in early-stage melanoma in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.

METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in 4 databases to identify real-world studies, published from 2015-2023 that reported the following survival predictor outcomes in melanoma stage I-III after surgery: overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), disease free survival (DFS) and recurrence free survival (RFS). Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data, with a third reviewer resolving any disagreements.

RESULTS: From 1,474 references, 122 articles underwent full-text review, and 22 were included. Nine (41%) studies were from Mexico, seven (32%) from Brazil, five (23%) from Colombia and one from Argentina (5%). The study periods varied from 1995 to 2021. Cutaneous melanoma was the most frequent reported type followed by mucosal and uveal melanoma. Adjuvant therapy was reported in 9 studies, mainly with radiotherapy and systemic therapy (chemotherapy and interferon alpha). Only two studies reported immunotherapy (3.6% -13.2% of patients) and target therapy (1% of patients). Most studies did not reported outcomes stratified by stage, (12, 54.5%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) was reported in 10 studies (range 51.1% to 92.4%). Stage-specific OS was reported in 6 studies: stage I (91-100%), stage II (71-83.4%), and stage III (28-68.5%). Four studies reported 5-year (DSS) (range 52.3% to 68.8%), and 3 studies reported stage-specific DSS: stage I (66%-92.4%), stage II (60.8%-70.1%), and stage III (46.5%-53.5%). One study reported specific stage III 5-year disease-free survival (48.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides valuable insights into real-world survival outcomes in early-stage melanoma in four countries in Latin America. The findings have important implications for healthcare professionals in identifying high-risk patients for recurrence to consider new treatment options that have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials.