Original scientific paper
Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Malignant Melanoma in Area of West Herzegovina from 1997 to 2010
Dubravka Šimić
Ivana Topić
Jasna Zeljko Penavić
Abstract
Incidence rate of cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM), one of the most aggressive skin tumours, is increasing nowadays.
Etiology of MM has not been fully understood. Various etiological factors are of relevance for the occurrence of the
disease. The solar radiation as well as long term exposure to ultraviolet radiation has the greatest impact on development
of this skin tumour. Melanoma risk factors have different associations with melanoma on body sites. This study investigates
the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of MM such as age, gender, distribution of MM on the body
and type of melanoma in the area of West Herzegovina, on the sample of 205 patients. It presents the occurrence of MM in
the period from 1997. to 2010. Both, females and males have increased the risk of melanoma on the trunk (45.9%). Different
body sites receive various amounts of sun exposure, yet melanomas occur on all parts of the body. This may represent
different pathways in the etiology of melanoma based on body location. The most frequent type of MM was superfitial
spreading melanoma (SSM) 47.8%. According to our investigation incidence rate was 18.6% (per 1000 patints).
Keywords
malignant melanoma; epidemiology; clinical characteristics; Herzegovina
Hrčak ID:
72252
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2011.
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