Season of diagnosis has no effect on survival from malignant melanoma

Abstract

Diagnosis in summer had been shown to be associated with better survival from some cancers, but such studies on malignant melanoma where sun exposure is a risk factor for disease are rare. We evaluated seasonality in melanoma diagnosis and its effect on survival in Victoria, Australia using 26,060 cases reported to the population-based Victorian Cancer Registry during 1986-2004. To estimate the amplitude of the seasonal variation, we calculated the ratio of the number of melanoma cases diagnosed in summer to that in winter. Linear regression was undertaken to assess the variation in thickness, the main prognostic indicator for melanoma, by season of diagnosis adjusting for sex, anatomical si..