@article{3163049,
    title = "Demographic, behavioural and physician-related determinants of early
melanoma detection in a low-incidence population",
    author = "Talaganis, J. A. and Biello, K. and Plaka, M. and Polydorou, D. and and Papadopoulos, O. and Trakatelli, M. and Sotiriadis, D. and Tsoutsos, D. and and Kechagias, G. and Gogas, H. and Antoniou, C. and Swetter, S. M. and and Geller, A. C. and Stratigos, A. J.",
    journal = "British Journal of Dermatology",
    year = "2014",
    volume = "171",
    number = "4",
    pages = "832-838",
    publisher = "Wiley",
    issn = "0007-0963, 1365-2133",
    doi = "10.1111/bjd.13068",
    abstract = "Background Knowledge of the factors that influence early detection of
melanoma is important in developing strategies to reduce associated
mortality.
Objectives To identify sociodemographic, behavioural and medical
care-related factors associated with melanoma thickness in a
low-incidence population but with a high case fatality.
Patients and methods In a multicentre, retrospective, survey-based study
of 202 patients with a recent diagnosis of invasive melanoma (<1year),
we collected data on demographic and behavioural factors, attitudes
towards prevention, access to medical care, frequency of skin
self-examination (SSE) and physician skin examination (PSE) in relation
to melanoma thickness.
Results Thinner tumours (1mm, 80 melanomas) were associated with female
sex (P0049), nonnodular (superficial spreading melanoma, lentigo maligna
melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma) histological subtypes (P<0001),
absence of ulceration (P0001), and location other than lower extremity
or trunk location (P0004). Patients married at the time of diagnosis or
who performed SSE during the year prior to diagnosis were more likely to
have thinner tumours than those who did not [odds ratio (OR) 345, 95%
confidence interval (CI) 148-804 and OR 243, 95% CI 110-534,
respectively]. Full-body skin examination by a physician was not
significantly associated with thinner melanoma (OR 199, 95% CI
066-607).
Conclusions SSE was shown to be an important factor in the detection of
thin melanoma, in contrast to partial or full-body PSE, which did not
show any statistically significant effect on tumour thickness."
}