ABSTRACT
Center of Dermatology, Elbe Kliniken, Klinikum Buxtehude, Buxtehude, Germany
S. Welz
Commentum Public Relations, Hamburg, Germany
Eckhard W. Breitbart
Center of Dermatology, Elbe Kliniken, Klinikum Buxtehude, Buxtehude, Germany
INTRODUCTION
Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC; basal cell carcinoma, BCC; squamous cell
carcinoma, SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM) of the skin represent the
most common type of cancer in the white population worldwide (1,2). Skin
cancer incidence is still increasing and reaches epidemic proportions (1). In
Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia, the average increase
in NMSC has been published to be in the range of 3% to 8% per year since
the 1960s (1,3,4). Standardized European incidence rates of MM for different
European countries are in the range of 3-17/100,000 cases per year. Therefore, in 2000, approximately, 26,000 males and 33,000 females have been diagnosed
with melanomas in Europe, and around 8300 males and 7600 females died of
their disease. As for NMSC, incidence of MM is still increasing (5). Cutaneous
malignant melanoma is the most rapidly increasing cancer in white populations
with estimated doubling of rates every 10 to 20 years. A cumulative lifetime risk
for melanoma has been estimated to be in the order of 1:25 and around 1:75 in
Australia and in the United States by the year 2000 (1,6,7). MM is much more
fatal (20-25% mortality) than NMSC. However, due to the high incidence of
NMSC, these types of skin cancer also induce a high burden in health systems
because of the increasing human and economic costs. On the other hand, skin
cancer should be highly preventable, because the main risk factor, UV radiation,
is known and exposure (to artificial and solar UV) can be reduced by means
of primary prevention, which can give liable information to reduce the risk
(UV exposure) in order to stay healthy.
