Changes in Incidence of Malignant Melanoma in the Last 19 Years in a Tertiary Hospital on the Mediterranean Coast

Abstract

Introduction The incidence of melanoma has increased more than that of any other type of malignant tumor. Our aim was to analyze the changes in incidence of cutaneous melanoma in recent years in a Mediterranean population. Material and methods Patients with melanoma diagnosed between 1988 and 2006 were included in the study. Data from the first half of this period were compared with data from the second half. Results The number of in situ melanomas increased from 36/302 cases (11.92%) in the first half of the period to 224/724 (30.94%) in the second half. Melanomas measuring more than 4 mm increased from 29/302 cases (9.60%) to 62/724 (8.56%). The mean maximum thickness for the whole study period was 1.91 mm and was similar for both halves. Conclusions The increase in incidence of melanoma in our population was due mainly to an increase in incipient cases. The proportion of melanomas larger than 4 mm remained constant, although, in absolute terms, twice as many such melanomas were detected per year. We believe that campaigns for prevention and early detection must continue, and should focus in particular on the older population.