The gender-related issues in malignant melanoma.

The problem of malignant melanoma is important in the United States, in the world as a whole, and particularly in Hawaii with its high levels of ultraviolet radiation. It is estimated that 32,000 Americans will develop melanoma and 6,800 will die of this tumor in 1993. Melanoma is now the seventh most frequent cancer in the United States. It is more common than ovarian, cervical, CNS cancer and leukemia. Both incidence and mortality from melanoma are rapidly increasing. The incidence of melanoma has consistently increased 6% a year and the death rate has increased 2% a year since 1950. At current rates, one in 400 will die of this tumor. Should this rate of increase continue, by the year 2000, it is estimated that one in 75 Americans will develop melanoma during a lifetime. The highest melanoma incidence in the U.S. is found in Hawaii. Melanoma is increasing faster than any other cancer in the United States and all over the world.