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Analysis of trends and seasonal variation in primary cutaneous melanoma: an Irish study
Author(s) -
Downes M. R.,
Fan Y.,
Murphy G.,
Gulmann C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2010.03952.x
Subject(s) - breslow thickness , seasonality , medicine , melanoma , lentigo maligna , presentation (obstetrics) , irish , dermatology , demography , surgery , cancer , biology , ecology , sentinel lymph node , linguistics , philosophy , cancer research , sociology , breast cancer
Summary A seasonal variation in the presentation of cutaneous melanoma has been documented in several studies. We performed a retrospective review of primary cutaneous melanomas ( n = 263) from our institution to examine whether the seasonal patterns of presentation noted in the literature would be similar in Ireland, a climate with low ambient sunshine. A summer : winter ratio was determined for age, gender, subtype, location and Breslow thickness. We found an increase in total numbers of melanomas, particularly in men. The summer : winter ratio was 2.39 for all patients (95% CI 1.60–3.57, P < 0.001), with seasonal variations noted for location, thickness and subtype (excluding lentigo). Melanomas presenting over the summer tended towards a greater Breslow thickness than did those presenting in winter. This subclassification of primary cutaneous melanoma with summer : winter ratios based on patient and tumour characteristics gave remarkably similar results to previously published reports, notwithstanding the low levels of annual ambient sunshine in Ireland.