Clinical Epidemiology of Malignant-Melanoma - Analysis of 1368 Patients Treated At the Department of Dermatology, University-of-Graz (1970-1989)

Epidemiological and histological data of 1368 patients with invasive malignant melanoma treated at the Department of Dermatology between 1970 and 1989 were analysed retrospectively. Frequency of melanoma increased from 103 cases between 1970 and 1974 to 593 between 1985 and 1989. The male/ female ratio was 1/1.5 and did not change during the study period. Mean age of patients at the time of primary operation was 56.1 years and was approximately the same for males and females (males 55.8, females 56.3 years). The predominant site was the trunk in males (58.7 per cent) and the lower leg in females (41.6 per cent). There was a relative increase of melanomas of the back in males and the lower leg in females at the expense of melanomas of the face. The Breslow index was significantly higher in males than in females. In patients older than 69 years, the proportion of thick melanomas was above average. During the study period, the frequency of thick melanomas (> 1.5 mm) showed an encouraging decrease in both sexes. In 1989, 50 per cent of all melanomas were thinner than 1.01 mm. This can be interpreted as a successful outcome of efforts in preventive medicine.