Table 3 Estimated 5- and 10-year survival rates for patients with vertical growth phase melanoma (product-limit method) by tumor necrosis, apoptotic index and α_v-integrin, using death from melanoma as end-point

Tumor necrosis

   absent

142

76

64

< 0.0001

   present

57

45

35

Apoptotic index

   low^b

97

66

61

0.016

   high

30

49

16

α _v -integrin

   weak^c

39

80

80

0.006

   strong

91

56

42