THE ROLE OF EARLY DETECTION IN REDUCING MALIGNANT MELANOMA MORTALITY: A SYSTEMIC REVIEW

Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, and prognosis is strongly associated with the stage of disease at diagnosis. Early detection plays an important role in improving prognosis and reducing melanoma-related mortality. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of early detection strategies in malignant melanoma. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, and ScienceDirect. Retrospective and prospective studies discussing melanoma screening and early detection methods were included. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Several detection strategies were identified, including whole-body skin examination, the Schleswig-Holstein method, the SCREEN project in Northern Germany, and machine learning–based diagnostic systems. Whole-body skin examination demonstrated benefits in detecting melanoma at earlier stages with thinner Breslow thickness. Machine learning approaches also showed promising diagnostic accuracy ranging from 88–91% in selected studies. Most studies suggested that early detection contributes to improved prognosis and may reduce melanoma mortality. Technological innovations may further enhance melanoma screening accessibility and diagnostic performance in clinical practice.