Epidemiology of Malignant Melanoma

Melanomas are common cancers arising from the pigment cells of the skin. While in situ and locally invasive melanomas are curable by surgery, advanced disease is difficult to treat and can be lethal, as reflected in the rising mortality rates for these cancers [1]. Population-based strategies to control the disease have largely focused on primary prevention and early detection. For such strategies to be implemented, it is imperative that the underlying epidemiology of melanoma is understood. Emerging evidence from diverse disciplines suggests that melanomas may arise through several different causal pathways; characterizing these pathways is crucially important to developing rational approaches for preventing and treating cutaneous melanoma. The aim of this chapter is to briefly describe the patterns of melanoma occurrence, before reviewing recent discoveries that have changed our understanding of the way in which melanoma arises.