[MELANOMA INCIDENCE, IMMIGRATION AND ORIGIN]

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes, whose prevalence has been increasing in recent decades. Early diagnosis allows removal of the tumor prior to the metastatic stage and may lead to a complete recovery.

To compare melanoma incidence among different epidemiological groups in northern Israel, and to assess the impact of migration on the increase in incidence of the disease.

A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of all patients diagnosed with melanoma and treated in the Plastic Surgery Department at the Rambam Health Care Campus in 2016. Demographic data of 130 patients and tumor characteristics were collected and analyzed.

European and American immigrants were found to carry an increased risk for melanoma compared to African and Asian immigrants. Increased melanoma risk was also found among a large subset of European immigrants from the former Soviet Union. This sub-group accounted for 32% of study group patients, while they only comprise 9% of the population (p <0.05). Most melanoma tumors in this sub-group were found in upper and lower extremities (60%). Disease was diagnosed at a younger age compared to the other European immigrants (p <0.05), with a trend towards a more advanced disease than the rest of the patients.

Study findings imply an increased melanoma risk in immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Raising awareness of this population to preventative measures and the importance of early diagnosis may reduce morbidity and mortality caused by the disease. Further research is needed to determine whether routine screening tests should be applied to this population.