Del Fiore Paolo, Russo Irene, Dal Monico Alessandro, Tartaglia Jacopo, Ferrazzi Beatrice, Mazza Marcodomenico, Cavallin Francesco, Tropea Saveria, Buja Alessandra, Cappellesso Rocco, Nicolè Lorenzo, Chiarion-Sileni Vanna, Menin Chiara, Vecchiato Antonella, Dei Tos Angelo Paolo, Alaibac Mauro, Mocellin Simone
Soft-Tissue, Peritoneum and Melanoma Surgical Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padua, Italy.
Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy.
Life (Basel). 2022 May 17;12(5):745. doi: 10.3390/life12050745.
The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has been increasing in the last decades among the fair-skinned population. Despite its complex and multifactorial etiology, the exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the most consistent modifiable risk factor for melanoma. Several factors influence the amount of UVR reaching the Earth's surface. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between melanoma and altitude in an area with mixed geographic morphology, such as the Veneto region (Italy). We included 2752 melanoma patients who were referred to our centers between 1998 and 2014. Demographics, histological and clinical data, and survival information were extracted from a prospectively maintained local database. Head/neck and acral melanoma were more common in patients from the hills and the mountains, while limb and trunk melanoma were more common in patients living in plain and coastal areas. Breslow thickness, ulceration and mitotic rate impaired with increased altitude. However, the geographical area of origin was not associated with overall or disease-free survival. The geographical area of origin of melanoma patients and the "coast-plain-hill gradient" could help to estimate the influence of different sun exposure and to explain the importance of vitamin D levels in skin-cancer control.
在过去几十年中，皮肤黑色素瘤的发病率在白种人群体中呈上升趋势。尽管其病因复杂且具有多因素性，但紫外线辐射（UVR）暴露是黑色素瘤最一致的可改变风险因素。有几个因素会影响到达地球表面的UVR量。我们的研究旨在探讨在具有混合地理形态的地区，如意大利威尼托地区，黑色素瘤与海拔之间的关系。我们纳入了1998年至2014年间转诊至我们中心的2752例黑色素瘤患者。人口统计学、组织学和临床数据以及生存信息均从一个前瞻性维护的本地数据库中提取。头颈部和肢端黑色素瘤在来自山区和丘陵地区的患者中更为常见，而肢体和躯干黑色素瘤在生活在平原和沿海地区的患者中更为常见。随着海拔升高，Breslow厚度、溃疡形成和有丝分裂率受损。然而，患者的地理来源区域与总生存期或无病生存期无关。黑色素瘤患者的地理来源区域以及“海岸 - 平原 - 丘陵梯度”有助于评估不同日照的影响，并解释维生素D水平在皮肤癌控制中的重要性。
