title: Melanoma epidemic: true or false?
abstract: Melanoma incidence has increased dramatically over the last decades in most industrial countries, mainly as a result of the large numbers of early melanomas being diagnosed. Simultaneously, a lack of commensurate change in mortality has been reported, raising the possibility that skin melanoma may have modified its aggressiveness as a result of the increased diagnosis of biologically benign lesions. The main data and controversies arising from the melanoma epidemic are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, C/Loureiro Crespo 2, Pontevedra 36001, Spain. angeflor@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flórez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruces
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology