Melanoma

Abstract

The incidence of melanoma is rising faster than any other malignancy and is the sixth most common cancer in North America. Melanoma accounts for only 4–5 % of all skin cancers but causes a majority of the deaths from skin malignancies. It is estimated that melanoma develops 20 times more frequently in whites than in blacks, and it occurs more commonly in the lower extremities in women and more often on the trunk and head and neck in men. The median age at diagnosis is 45–55 years old. The lifetime probability of melanoma is 1 in 57 for males and 1 in 81 for females. It is well established that exposure to sunlight, specifically solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, increases the risk of developing melanoma. People incurring severe sunburns in childhood appear to be at a higher risk for melanoma years later. Other risk factors include a positive family history, Type 1 and Type 2 skin, dysplastic nevus syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, an increased number of common nevi, and one or more atypical nevi. People with more than 50 moles have a two- to threefold increase risk of melanoma.