SURGICAL OUTCOMES AND RECURRENCE PATTERNS IN FACIAL MELANOMA: AN 8-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY

This retrospective study evaluates surgical outcomes in 93 patients undergoing facial melanoma surgery between 2016 and 2023. Key factors analyzed include tumor lo­calization, morphology, surgical radicality (R0, R1, Rx), excision width and recurrence rates. Lentigo maligna spectrum was the most common type (77.4%), with the left cheek being the most frequent tumor site (45.2%). R0 resections with a minimum margin of 0.6 cm signifi­cantly reduced recurrence, while R1 resections had higher recurrence rates, particularly in lentigo maligna cases. These findings highlight the importance of precise sur­gical planning to optimize oncological and functional outcomes.