Epidemiology of malignant melanoma

The past two to three decades have witnessed increases in both the incidence and the mortality rates of malignant melanoma. A moderation in both incidence and mortality rates began to emerge in certain regions of the world after the 1980s, especially in the younger age groups, and survival rates of melanoma patients have increased in recent years. This improvement is likely due to earlier diagnosis, suggesting the potential effectiveness of secondary prevention. Continued health education efforts to improve awareness about signs and symptoms of melanoma will lead to earlier diagnosis and thus to a transient increase in incidence. These efforts, however, should eventually reduce mortality rates. The most important environmental risk factor for melanoma is exposure to the sun. Primary prevention efforts should target public education about the risk of sun exposure, especially recreational exposure in early life, and the benefits of protective clothing. These efforts should lead to an ultimate reduction in both incidence and mortality.