[Cutaneous melanoma: a review of risk factors]

In Europe, mortality due to cutaneous malignant melanoma represents 5,000 deaths a year, during this period about 17,000 people develop this disease. The highest incidence rates are those of Northern Europe, where this neoplasm has always been a public health problem, nevertheless countries of southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy ...) are showing important increments in their rates, during the last years. Because of all of this, it is becoming a public health problem in every white race populations. This increment in its incidence is mainly attributed to changes in lifestyle, with an increase of solar radiation exposure during holidays and leisure activities, increase of tobacco and alcohol consumption, exposure to different chemical substances, use of ultraviolet lamps, etc.