title: Early diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
abstract: The Lawrence Livermore (Calif) National Laboratory (LLNL) has observed a threefold increase in incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) since 1972. A consultant pathologist reviewed 49 of 50 cases of CMM diagnosed from 1969 to 1984 and reclassified 4 cases; this did not significantly affect the elevated rate. A comparison of the thicknesses of CMM at LLNL from 1976 to 1984 with those from a nearby community histopathology laboratory showed that 74% of the LLNL cases were Clark level I or II, compared with 40% of the comparison laboratory cases. A matched-pair comparison controlling for age, sex, and year of diagnosis showed the LLNL cases were thinner in 58% of the pairs. The median thickness of CMMs at LLNL decreased faster than those from the comparison laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Permanente Medical Group, San Rafael, Calif.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Sagebiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010336:Pathology; D012042:Registries; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors