The Queensland melanoma project.

The fate of over 1,500 patients treated for malignant melanoma in Queensland, Australia, between 1963 and 1969 has been followed by the Queensland Melanoma Project (QMP). Aspects which have been studied and reported include yearly incidence (16 per 100,000), sex incidence (females 55%, males 45%), size of melanomas (73% less than 2.0 cm), prognosis related to sex, site and histological features, multiple primary cutaneous melanomas (more than 1 in 4.8% of patients), hereditary and immunological aspects and value of frozen section diagnosis in management. Continued education of the public and medical practitioners is essential to insure early diagnosis and appropriate management of patients with melanoma.