Nationwide pilot survey of cutaneous melanoma in Brazil

Background The Brazilian Caucasian population makes up 44.5% of the number found in the USA. Based on an extrapolation of melanomas in Caucasians found in the US and proportionally maintained in Brazil, it can be estimated that we should expect about 44,000 new melanomas annually in our country. According to the National Cancer Institute (INCA), annually, Brazil has a forecast of 8450 new melanomas per year. The present study aims to survey melanomas in 2019 in pathology laboratories. Project design and methods A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted. Melanoma reports were collected from pathology laboratories across Brazil from January 1 to December 31, 2019, to avoid the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemia on patient care and diagnostic procedures. Data collected included sociodemographic and topographic characteristics and histopathological characteristics. All laboratories signed a Confidentiality Compliance Term for Data Management. Results A total of 1,825 cases of cutaneous melanoma were diagnosed by 26 pathology laboratories. Gender distribution was balanced, with a slight predominance of females (50.2%). Most patients were 60 years or older (62.6%). The trunk was the most frequent site of lesions (35.7%). Superficial spreading melanoma was the most prevalent histological subtype (54.7%). Breslow’s thickness was found to be 2.35 ± 4.54 mm. Discussion In three states (Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte, and Santa Catarina), reported new cases of melanoma outnumbered the Brazilian National Institute of Cancer (INCA) predicted cases for 2018. The findings suggest a potential underestimation of melanoma cases in some regions compared to INCA predictions. Conclusion The study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and characteristics of cutaneous melanoma in Brazil.