BACKGROUND: Melanoma incidence/mortality is increasing worldwide. "Euromelanoma Day" is a pan-European campaign for skin cancer prevention. Results of the 2010 Euromelanoma Day in Italy are reported herein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' characteristics and suspected skin cancers. RESULT: A total of 1085 participants was screened (64.1% females, median age 44 years). Suspicion rate, detection rate, and positive predictive values for melanoma were 1.3, 0.28 and 21.4%, respectively. Poorly educated, ≥35 years old, pale-skinned males were at higher risk for skin cancer than highly educated, <35 years old, darker-skinned females, although the latter groups reported sun-seeking behaviors. Full skin examination and dermoscopy were performed in 85.5 and 79.2% of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The 2010 Italian Euromelanoma Day produced good results in terms of melanoma detection/suspicion rates, likely due to the extensive use of full clinical and dermoscopic examinations. The campaign failed to attract many high-risk individuals. Targeted communication strategies are needed to this regard.
BACKGROUND:Melanoma incidence/mortality is increasing worldwide. "Euromelanoma Day" is a pan-European campaign for skin cancer prevention. Results of the 2010 Euromelanoma Day in Italy are reported herein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' characteristics and suspected skin cancers. RESULT: A total of 1085 participants was screened (64.1% females, median age 44 years). Suspicion rate, detection rate, and positive predictive values for melanoma were 1.3, 0.28 and 21.4%, respectively. Poorly educated, ≥35 years old, pale-skinned males were at higher risk for skin cancer than highly educated, <35 years old, darker-skinned females, although the latter groups reported sun-seeking behaviors. Full skin examination and dermoscopy were performed in 85.5 and 79.2% of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The 2010 Italian Euromelanoma Day produced good results in terms of melanoma detection/suspicion rates, likely due to the extensive use of full clinical and dermoscopic examinations. The campaign failed to attract many high-risk individuals. Targeted communication strategies are needed to this regard.
Authors: Gabriella Liszkay; Zoltan Kiss; Roland Gyulai; Judit Oláh; Péter Holló; Gabriella Emri; András Csejtei; István Kenessey; Angela Benedek; Zoltán Polányi; Zsófia Nagy-Erdei; Andrea Daniel; Kata Knollmajer; Máté Várnai; Zoltán Vokó; Balázs Nagy; György Rokszin; Ibolya Fábián; Zsófia Barcza; Csaba Polgár Journal: Front Oncol Date: 2021-02-12 Impact factor: 6.244