{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T22:13:43Z","timestamp":1771366423378,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Danish Medical Association","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dan Med J"],"abstract":"<jats:p>INTRODUCTION. Timely diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM) is crucial for optimal patient outcomes. Thus, the Danish Health Authority implemented a fast-track referral system (FTRS) comprising a clinical diagnostic filter function (CDFF) and a cancer package. This study aimed to characterise the flow of patients with a tentative MM diagnosis referred through the CDFF to a department of dermatology.  METHODS. Retrospective data from the Danish patient and pathology file system were analysed for patients referred to the Department of Dermato-Venereology at Bispebjerg Hospital, Denmark, via the CDFF, with suspected MM in a one-year period.  RESULTS. Among 860 patients with 895 skin lesions, 283 (31.6%) were discharged with a clinical benign diagnosis after their initial consultation, whereas treatment of another 77 (8.6%) patients concluded following a three-month observation period. One-year follow-up of these 360 (283 + 77) clinically benign skin lesions showed no malignancy. Among 100 MM-suspicious lesions promptly referred for excision to a department of plastic surgery, 48% were MM.  CONCLUSIONS. In a Danish population with tentative MM diagnosis referred through the CDFF to a dermatological hospital department, one-third of patients were discharged with a clinically benign diagnosis. Half of the skin lesions referred for excision to the department of plastic surgery were MM. This indicates a decreased burden of overdiagnosis and a potential reduction of unnecessary surgical scars when dermatologists serve as gate keepers of the FTRS for MM.  FUNDING. None  TRIAL REGISTRATION. Data obtained with permission from BBH j. no. 20078406.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.61409\/a07230435","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,31]],"date-time":"2024-01-31T09:40:35Z","timestamp":1706694035000},"page":"1-8","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Diagnostic flow of patients in a national fast-track referral system for malignant melanoma"],"prefix":"10.61409","volume":"71","author":[{"given":"Silje Haukali","family":"Omland","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Harager","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Phillipsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katrine","family":"Karmisholt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"40208","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,25]]},"container-title":["Danish Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,31]],"date-time":"2024-01-31T09:40:35Z","timestamp":1706694035000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ugeskriftet.dk\/dmj\/A07230435"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,25]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,25]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.61409\/a07230435","relation":{},"ISSN":["2245-1919"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2245-1919","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,25]]}}}