Malignant melanoma: epidemiologic aspects, diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

In faired skinned population the incidence of melanoma is rapidly increasing. Beside environmental factors (UV-exposure) certainly other reasons for the observed "melanoma epidemic" have to be discussed. For diagnostic procedure classical histopathology is accompanied by immunohistochemistry and more recently molecular techniques. For therapy new modalities are available which-after many years of frustrating search for new drugs-are now able to prolong both disease/progression free and overall survival.