Time-trend of melanoma screening practice by primary care physicians: a meta-regression analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether the proportion of primary care physicians implementing full body skin examination (FBSE) to screen for melanoma changed over time.


METHODS
Meta-regression analyses of available data.


METHODS
MEDLINE, ISI, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.


RESULTS
Fifteen studies surveying 10,336 physicians were included in the analyses. Overall, 15%-82% of them reported to perform FBSE to screen for melanoma. The proportion of physicians using FBSE screening tended to decrease by 1.72% per year (P =0.086). Corresponding annual changes in European, North American, and Australian settings were -0.68% (P =0.494), -2.02% (P =0.044), and +2.59% (P =0.010), respectively. Changes were not influenced by national guide-lines.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the increasing incidence of melanoma and other skin malignancies, as well as their relative potential consequences, the FBSE implementation time-trend we retrieved should be considered a worrisome phenomenon.
Valachis
Antonis
A
PACMeR (Panhellenic Association for Continual Medical Research), Athens, Greece. valachis@hotmail.com
Mauri
Davide
D
Karampoiki
Vassiliki
V
Polyzos
Nikolaos P
NP
Cortinovis
Ivan
I
Koukourakis
Georgios
G
Zacharias
Georgios
G
Xilomenos
Apostolos
A
Tsappi
Maria
M
Casazza
Giovanni
G
D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010821:Physicians, Family; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012044:Regression Analysis