Skin Cancer Detection among 2961 Patients during the “Euromelanoma Day” Screening Campaign in Sweden 2009

Abstract

The “Euromelanoma Day” is a screening campaign designed to educate the general population about the risks of excessive sun exposure and early signs of melanoma. During the “Euromelanoma Day,” skin cancer screening of the general population by dermatologists is offered at participating clinics and hospitals. During the 2009 campaign in Sweden, efforts were made to attract risk patients to screening. Individuals over the age of 18 years concerned about specific moles were asked to attend screening and the regular fee for a visit to a specialist was charged. Questionnaires were used to provide data regarding demographics, risk factors, and clinical findings among the 2961 screened patients. The majority of the patients were female (63.4%), the median age was 56 years, and over 90% of the patients had skin types I–III. Over 25% of the patients had one or more lesions, which the dermatologist found to be suspicious of malignancy. In total, 10% of the patients presented with clinically suspected actinic keratoses and 6% with basal cell carcinoma. Twenty-six melanomas (including 10 in situ lesions) were histopathologically confirmed. We believe that the “Euromelanoma Day” is of importance to spread knowledge among the general population about melanoma as well as its risk factors and signs for early detection. Although the benefits of screening the general population remain controversial, several new approaches in the Swedish campaign attracted patients with a higher risk of skin cancer and also rendered higher detection rates than similar campaigns in other European countries.