EUROMELANOMA DAY. RESULTS OF THE 2000, 2001 AND 2002 CAMPAIGNS IN SPAIN

Background. In the year 2000, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology initiated a campaign, called "Euromelanoma Day," for the early detection of melanoma. Objective. To discuss the results of "Euromelanoma Day" in Spain for the campaigns carried out in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Material and methods. Participating members of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology examined everyone who requested an appointment, free of charge, in order to detect suspicious lesions. Four months after the visit, telephone contact was made with all patients who had been diagnosed with suspected melanoma to ask them whether the lesions had been excised, and if so, the result of the histological study of the specimen. Results. 33,750 calls to set up an appointment were received, and 12,487 patients were examined. The average participation by dermatologists was 399 academy members per year. A total of 164 lesions suspected of being melanoma were detected, above all in Andalusia and Catalonia, and the diagnosis was histologically confirmed in 31 cases. The clinicopathological correlation was 23.3 %, a higher figure than the one for the USA and similar to the one for Mediterranean countries. The average thickness of the tumors was 0.93 mm. Conclusions. Although these campaigns have the drawback of possible bias in the findings and may cause some degree of public alarm, the benefit to the population was unquestionable in terms of heightening awareness of a health problem.