SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Malignant cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, and its early detection and prompt initiation of treatment play an important role in reducing disease-associated morbidity and mortality. Many factors influence the diagnosis of melanoma, and its recognition is essential for the development of strategies for its early detection. This study was carried out to Identify the main variables related to the delay in diagnosis of Malignant Cutaneous Melanoma and correlate them with the time interval for making the definitive diagnosis. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 103 patient records from January 2015 to December 2020 correlating social, economic, demographic, and cultural factors with the time elapsed between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis of malignant cutaneous melanoma. RESULTS: The average time to seek medical services from the onset of symptoms was 29.54 months. The mean time for a referral from the primary to the referral service was 1.35 months, and the factors that contributed to a faster diagnosis were lesion Breslow (>1 mm), lesion growth, income range (≤1.5 minimum wages), lower phototypes (I and II), not having gone to the Basic Healthcare Units, profession (household), smoking, and type of housing. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that there is still a great delay in the recognition of signs and symptoms related to the diagnosis of malignant cutaneous melanoma in our country, influenced by several socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Resumo Os porta-enxertos de seringueira requerem um período em viveiro para atingir o estádio de enxertia, sendo necessária a aplicação de práticas para otimizar o tempo de formação das mudas. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da poda apical nos atributos morfofisiológicos dos porta-enxertos de seringueira GT1. O experimento foi realizado no período de maio de 2014 a maio de 2015 e os tratamentos consistiram em T1: sem poda apical; T2: poda apical realizada uma vez após o terceiro lançamento foliar maduro; T3: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o terceiro lançamento foliar maduro; T4: poda apical realizada uma vez após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro; T5: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro; T6: poda apical realizada uma vez após o quinto lançamento foliar maduro e T7: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quinto lançamento foliar maduro. As mensurações foram realizadas mensalmente, medindo-se o diâmetro e a altura das plantas, de 90 até 360 DAT (dias após o transplantio). Aos 360 DAT foram avaliados: massa seca de raiz, caule, folhas e massa seca total; número de folíolos; comprimento da raiz pivotante; volume do sistema radicular; área foliar e teores de elementos minerais nas folhas. A poda apical influenciou no diâmetro do caule, da altura, da massa seca de caule, da massa seca foliar e da área foliar das plantas. Plantas submetidas às podas apicais apresentaram a massa seca de raiz, a massa seca total, o comprimento de raiz, o volume de raiz e o número de folíolos semelhantes às não despontadas. Os tratamentos com poda apical realizada mensalmente apresentaram maior concentração de elementos minerais nas folhas. A poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro possibilitou o desenvolvimento em diâmetro dos porta-enxertos de seringueira em período semelhante às plantas não despontadas, porém aliado a uma menor altura, que facilita os tratos culturais.

Abstract The rubber tree rootstocks require a period in nursery to reach the grafting stage, and it is necessary the application of practices to optimize the time of seedling formations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of apical pruning on the morphophysiological attributes of the GT1 rubber tree rootstocks. The experiment was performed from May 2014 to May 2015 and the treatments consisted in T1: without apical pruning; T2: apical pruning performed once after the third mature leaf release; T3: apical pruning performed monthly after the third mature leaf release; T4: apical pruning performed once after the fourth mature leaf release; T5: apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release; T6: apical pruning performed once after the fifth mature leaf release and T7: apical pruning performed monthly after the fifth mature leaf release. Measurements were performed monthly, measuring the diameter and height of the plants, from 90 to 360 DAT (days after planting transfer). At 360 DAT were evaluated: dry mass of root, stem, leaves and total dry mass; number of leaflets; length of the pivoting root; volume of the root system; leaf area and mineral element content in leaves. The apical pruning influenced stem diameter, height, dry stem mass, dry leaf mass and leaf area of plants. Plants submitted to apical pruning showed dry root mass, total dry mass, root length, root volume and number of leaflets similar to those not budded. The treatments with monthly apical pruning showed a higher concentration of mineral elements in the leaves. The apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release allowed the development in diameter of the rootstocks of the rubber tree in a period similar to the plants not blossomed, but ally to a smaller height, which facilitates the cultural treatments.