title: Epidemiological aspects of melanoma at a university hospital dermatology center over a period of 20 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of melanoma has been steadily rising in past decades. Although it accounts for only 3% of all skin cancers, it is responsible for 75% of deaths.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to describe the epidemiological aspects of melanoma in a university hospital setting over a period of 20 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 166 patients were analyzed between January 1990 and January 2010 for clinical and histological variables and correlations between them. A 5% level of significance was adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients were Caucasians (74%), females (61%), with a mean age at diagnosis of 55. The predominant histological type was lentigo maligna/lentigo maligna melanoma (35.7%) and the head and neck was the most affected site (30.7%). Among non-Caucasians, the acral region was the most affected. Most tumors were in situ (41.1%). Growth of the lesion was the most frequent complaint (58.1%) and bleeding was most frequently associated with melanomas with a depth > 4mm. There were seven deaths (4.2%), with a high risk among men, non-Caucasians and those under 20 years of age, with a Breslow's depth > 2mm, with lentiginous acral melanoma and with a history of growth and bleeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our sample differs from most of the studies in the predominant location (head and neck), histological type (lentigo maligna/ lentigo maligna melanoma) and a major risk of death under the age of 20, which could be with a reflex of regional variation. Broader studies are necessary for validation of the results.
authors.affiliation: Brasilia University (UnB), Hospital Universitário de Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil. flaviavieirabrandao@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Flavia Vieira
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Ana Francisca Junqueira Ribeiro
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gontijo
authors.forename: Flávia Vasques
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D018327:Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013997:Time Factors; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult