Nathanael R. Fillmore
Publications / 2026
paper
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology2026doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2026.03.019

Frailty and survival outcomes in veterans with invasive cutaneous melanoma: A Veterans Affairs Cancer Registry retrospective cohort study.

Linden B. Huhmann†, Jonathan C. Hwang†, Daniel Y. Kim, Kaelyn Nannini, Nhan V. Do, John M. Gaziano, Lee E. Wheless, Nathanael R. Fillmore‡, Rebecca I. Hartman‡

† Equal first authorship · ‡ Equal senior authorship

Summary

Higher levels of frailty are associated with decreased overall survival for veterans with invasive cutaneous melanoma regardless of the cancer stage. For patients with advanced stage III or IV disease, moderate-to-severe frailty also correlates with an increased risk of melanoma-specific death.

Key result

Frailty was associated with decreased overall survival across all stages of invasive cutaneous melanoma, while moderate-to-severe frailty specifically predicted worse melanoma-specific survival in patients with stage III/IV disease (hazard ratio 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.30; P = .020).

Key figure

Key figure from Frailty and survival outcomes in veterans with invasive cutaneous melanoma: A Veterans Affairs Cancer Registry retrospective cohort study.