Melanoma incidence in Connecticut by town of residence

In an analysis of 2,935 cases of invasive melanoma of the skin diagnosed among residents of Connecticut's 169 towns in 1990-1994, 12 of the 17 towns with statistically significantly elevated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were on or near the ocean shoreline (in the extreme southern part of the State). The distribution of melanoma thickness did not support the hypothesis of greater detection of clinically less significant cancers in the ocean shoreline area with high SIRs. In multiple regression analyses, town location (on the ocean shoreline) was a statistically significant predictor of SIR by town, independent of socioeconomic indicators and racial composition. Although the effects of shoreline residence and latitude were difficult to separate, the results should be useful in planning analytic epidemiologic (i.e. case-control) studies in specific geographic areas for testing etiologic hypothesis as a basis for planning public health interventions.