Twenty-one years of cutaneous melanoma: stage shift, anatomical patterns and diagnostic trends from a Southern European tertiary center
- 1Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma incidence continues to rise worldwide, while advances in dermoscopic surveillance increasingly influence the stage at diagnosis. Long-term single-center analyses offer a unique perspective on how demographic shifts, tumor biology, and diagnostic intensity interact over time. We retrospectively analyzed 4062 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 2003 and 2024 at a tertiary dermatology center in Southern Italy. Demographic characteristics, anatomical site, and Breslow thickness were collected. Temporal trends were assessed using regression models and χ2 tests for trend. Melanoma diagnoses increased significantly over the study period (P < 0.0001), with a near three-fold rise between the first (2003–2013) and second (2014–2024) decades. In parallel, the proportion of melanoma in situ increased from 38.2 to 57.5% (P < 0.0001), indicating a pronounced shift toward earlier-stage detection. Mean age at diagnosis rose significantly over time (P < 0.001). Trunk melanomas predominated overall, particularly among men, whereas lower limb melanomas were more frequent among women (P < 0.001). Acral melanomas, although uncommon, showed the highest proportion of thick lesions (48.6%; ≥0.8 mm). Over two decades, melanoma diagnoses increased markedly alongside a substantial shift toward early stage disease. While these trends reflect improvements in surveillance and diagnostic sensitivity, the persistent burden of thick melanomas – particularly in acral locations and older patients – underscores unresolved diagnostic gaps.
Related
- Clinical and histopathological patterns of American cutaneous leishmaniasis: diagnostic and therapeutic implications for targeted therapy
- Development and internal validation of machine learning models for predicting lymph node metastasis in cutaneous head and neck melanoma
- 1191 Neoadjuvant phase 1b results: dose escalation of intratumoral PH-762 for cutaneous SCC, melanoma, or Merkel cell ( NCT06014086)
- Machine learning based regulatory T cells related gene signature for predicting the clinical outcome and immunotherapy benefits in skin cutaneous melanoma
- MicroRNAs in Cutaneous Melanoma: Biological Roles, Clinical Utility, and Future Directions
BibTeX
@article{tommasino2026twentyone,
title = {{Twenty-one years of cutaneous melanoma: stage shift, anatomical patterns and diagnostic trends from a Southern European tertiary center}},
author = {Nello Tommasino and Claudia Costa and Alessia Villani and Luca Menna and Adriana Di Guida and Luigi Coronella and Maddalena Napolitano and Massimiliano Scalvenzi},
journal = {Melanoma Research},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1097/cmr.0000000000001115},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/cmr.0000000000001115},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Twenty-one years of cutaneous melanoma: stage shift, anatomical patterns and diagnostic trends from a Southern European tertiary center
AU - Nello Tommasino
AU - Claudia Costa
AU - Alessia Villani
AU - Luca Menna
AU - Adriana Di Guida
AU - Luigi Coronella
AU - Maddalena Napolitano
AU - Massimiliano Scalvenzi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/12
JO - Melanoma Research
DO - 10.1097/cmr.0000000000001115
UR - https://doi.org/10.1097/cmr.0000000000001115
AB - Cutaneous melanoma incidence continues to rise worldwide, while advances in dermoscopic surveillance increasingly influence the stage at diagnosis. Long-term single-center analyses offer a unique perspective on how demographic shifts, tumor biology, and diagnostic intensity interact over time. We retrospectively analyzed 4062 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 2003 and 2024 at a tertiary dermatology center in Southern Italy. Demographic characteristics, anatomical site, and Breslow thickness were collected. Temporal trends were assessed using regression models and χ2 tests for trend. Melanoma diagnoses increased significantly over the study period (P < 0.0001), with a near three-fold rise between the first (2003–2013) and second (2014–2024) decades. In parallel, the proportion of melanoma in situ increased from 38.2 to 57.5% (P < 0.0001), indicating a pronounced shift toward earlier-stage detection. Mean age at diagnosis rose significantly over time (P < 0.001). Trunk melanomas predominated overall, particularly among men, whereas lower limb melanomas were more frequent among women (P < 0.001). Acral melanomas, although uncommon, showed the highest proportion of thick lesions (48.6%; ≥0.8 mm). Over two decades, melanoma diagnoses increased markedly alongside a substantial shift toward early stage disease. While these trends reflect improvements in surveillance and diagnostic sensitivity, the persistent burden of thick melanomas – particularly in acral locations and older patients – underscores unresolved diagnostic gaps.
SN - 0960-8931
SN - 1473-5636
ER -