Trends in cutaneous malignant melanoma in Denmark 1943-1982 by anatomic site.

Time trends in the incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma were examined by analysing data from the Danish Cancer Registry, 1943-1982, by sex and subsite for 3509 male and 5305 female cases. The age-standardized incidence rate for cutaneous malignant melanoma for men and women in Denmark increased by five- to six-fold between 1943 and 1982. The increase varied by site; a particularly pronounced elevation was seen for tumours of the trunk in both men and women and of the leg in women. A statistical analysis of the effects of age, time and cohort showed steep increases in risk for progressively younger birth cohorts. This association was particular pronounced for sites other than the face, scalp and neck; for the latter sites, there was a much smaller increase for younger cohorts.