Epidemiology and Screening for Melanoma

Melanoma is the most commonly fatal type of skin cancer, and it is an important and growing public health problem in the United States and worldwide. Fortunately, incidence rates are decreasing in young people, stabilizing in middle-aged people, and increasing in older individuals. Herein, the authors further describe trends in melanoma incidence and mortality, review the literature on risk factors, and provide an up-to-date assessment of population-wide screening and new technology being utilized in melanoma screening.