title: Melanoma incidence rates in active duty military personnel compared with a population-based registry in the United States, 2000-2007.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to investigate whether incidence rates of malignant cutaneous melanoma in U.S. Department of Defense active duty military personnel differed from rates in the U.S. general population between 2000 and 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included active duty military personnel and the general population aged 18 to 56 years. Data were obtained from the U.S. Department of Defense medical data systems and from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program. Melanoma risk was estimated by incidence rate ratios (IRRs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Melanoma risk was higher among active duty personnel than the general population (IRR = 1.62, 95% confidence interval = 1.40-1.86). Incidence rates were higher for white military personnel than for white rates in general population (36.89 and 23.05 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Rates were also increased for military men and women compared with SEER (men, 25.32 and 16.53 per 100,000; women, 30.00 and 17.55 per 100,000). Air Force service personnel had the highest rates and Army had the lowest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melanoma rates were marginally higher among active duty military personnel than the general population between 2000 and 2007.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834.
authors.forename: C Suzanne
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834.
authors.forename: Jimmy T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Efird
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Toland
authors.affiliation: Surveillance Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: Denise R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Deployment Health Research Department, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA 92152.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018426:SEER Program; D012878:Skin Neoplasms; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma