A 10-year follow-up study of subjects recruited in a health campaign for the early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma: suggestions for the screening timetable

Background. Cutaneous melanoma affects people at a relatively young age. The possibility of making a screening at population level is strongly limited because of the high costs and the shortage of well trained operators. Objective. To evaluate the possibility of a sustainable timetable of screening examinations for cutaneous melanoma. Methods. Subjects who contacted the “Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori” Italian League against Cancer (LILT) between January 2001 and December 2004 were followed up to December 2013 thorough linkage with the Trento Skin Cancer Registry. Cumulative incidence of cutaneous melanoma was calculated and compared with that observed in the general population. Results. Fifteen newly diagnosed cutaneous melanomas were observed in 3,635 subjects during the screening phase, while 14 new cases were diagnosed within December 2013, in the period of follow-up after the screening. The 95% confidence interval for the cumulative incidence of screened subjects included the cumulative incidence of the general population. No new cutaneous melanomas were detected in a two years period, after the first examination, only 2 cases by 3 years. Conclusions. Based on our study, we think that in a selected population a screening program can be performed every 2-3 years. This could help make possible/sustainable a screening for the early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma in a public health context.