Prognostic implications of biopsy with tumor transection for patients with high-risk primary melanoma

To the Editor: Excisional biopsies with narrow margins are optimal for histopathologic diagnosis of melanoma. However, many clinicians have adopted quicker and cheaper partial biopsy techniques that have high rates of tumor transection and staging inaccuracies. Another potential concern is disease spread by direct displacement of tumor cells or modifying the microenvironment during wound healing to favor metastasis..